Effect of foliar feeding with Nano fertilizer on the growth of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) cultivars under drip irrigation

The field experiment was conducted during spring season of 2023 in Diyala Governorate, Muqdadiyah District, Abu Saida Subdistrict, and Abu Saba'a Village, located 60 km northeast of Baqubah City, the center of the governorate. The experiment design was factorial experiment according to the randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The plant material was sugarcane Saccharum officinarum L. The aim was to investigate the impact of three Nano fertilizer levels (Optimus-Plus): 1, 2, and 3 liters h-1 on sugarcane varieties. Nano fertilizer was added after germination and in three times during the months of April, June, and September on four American sugarcane varieties CP72-2086, CP89-2143, CP81-325, and LO3-371. Drip irrigation technology used to water the plants. The results showed that the cultivars LO3-371 and CP81-325 had the highest increase in extractable stems and a significant decrease in non-extractable stems. The cultivars LO3-371 and CP89-2143 significantly reduced the number of green leaves (leaf plant-1), with the lowest average being 6.41 and 5.25 leaves plant-1, respectively. The concentration of 3 L h-1 outperformed in terms of stem height (cm), stem diameter (cm), and total number of stems (stem m-2) with the highest averages of 316.12 cm, 2.98 cm, and 26.25 stems m-2. It also outperformed in terms of the number of extractable and non-extractable stems, as well as the total number of leaves, with the highest averages of 22.50 stems m2, 3.75 stems m2, and 28.90 leaves plant-1 respectively. Compared to comparison treatment, the results showed significant differences in all interactions between varieties and concentrations in most vegetative characteristics.