Abstract
Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate rates and methods of potassium application for plant cane (Saccharum spp.) grown in a dystrophic Typic Haplustox with a sandy loam texture in the Brazilian Cerrado. The experiment was carried out in the municipality of Aporé, in the state of Goiás, using the RB92579 sugarcane variety. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks, with three replicates, in a 5x3 factorial arrangement, with five potassium rates (0, 60, 110, 160, and 200 kg ha-1 K2O as potassium chloride) and three application methods (100% at the bottom of the planting furrow and covered with soil, 100% side-dressed on the sugarcane rows 60 days after planting, and 50% in the planting furrow and 50% side-dressed). The amount of potassium in the stalks in the control treatment was greater than that of the potassium stock extractable by Mehlich-1 in the 0-60 cm soil layer. Stalk and sugar yields increase linearly with potassium rates, approximately 20% with 200 kg ha-1 K2O compared with the control treatment (without potassium). Potassium content in stalks also increases with potassium rates. There is no significant effect of the potassium application methods on stalk and sugar yields and on cane quality variables.
Highlights
Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) production has shown a significant growth in the Midwestern region of Brazil during the last two decades, going from 24 to 144 million tons of cane in 2020 (IBGE, 2020)
The experimental design was randomized complete blocks, with three replicates, in a 5x3 factorial arrangement, with five potassium rates (0, 60, 110, 160, and 200 kg ha-1 K2O as potassium chloride) and three application methods (100% at the bottom of the planting furrow and covered with soil, 100% side-dressed on the sugarcane rows 60 days after planting, and 50% in the planting furrow and 50% sidedressed)
Stalk and sugar yields increase linearly with potassium rates, approximately 20% with 200 kg ha-1 K2O compared with the control treatment
Summary
Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) production has shown a significant growth in the Midwestern region of Brazil during the last two decades, going from 24 to 144 million tons of cane in 2020 (IBGE, 2020). In coarse-textured soils, this management, associated with a low rainfall during crop establishment, might lead the plant to failure in establishing its root system and to difficulties in sprouting, whereas intense rainfall leads to leaching since sandy soils have a low CEC and the preference for potassium adsorption is low (Kaminski et al, 2010; Garcia et al, 2015; Ucker et al, 2016; Luz et al, 2017) Another common practice is splitting (side-dressing) potassium rates, which is justified by the facts that potassium salts are highly soluble and this nutrient exhibits high mobility in these soils, rapidly reaching the root zone (Lana et al, 2004; Raij, 2011)
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