Abstract
ABSTRACT The use of pre-sprouted seedlings in the implantation of sugarcane crops not only reduces the establishment period and production costs, but also has other advantages, such as a lesser requirement of propagules (stems) and greater phytosanitary control of the seedlings, when compared to conventional planting. Commercial substrates are also expensive and their use increases the cost of seedlings. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of sugarcane pre-sprouted seedlings grown on substrates with different proportions of decomposed babassu palm stem (DBPS), as well as to recommend the substrate formulation that provides the most favorable environment for the growth and development of sugarcane pre-sprouted seedlings. For preparation of the substrate (S), DBPS and soil were used in the following proportions: S1: 0 % of DBPS + 100 % of soil; S2: 20 % of DBPS + 80 % of soil; S3: 40 % of DBPS + 60 % of soil; S4: 60 % of DBPS + 40 % of soil; S5: 80 % of DBPS + 20 % of soil; S6: 100 % of DBPS + 0 % of soil. The use of S2 and S3 considerably improved the seedling quality parameters, such as sprout diameter and length, number of leaves and total, shoot and root dry mass. However, from an economic point of view, S2 is recommended for use.
Highlights
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), a member of the Poaceae family, is a grass of great socioeconomic importance grown in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide and used as a raw material for the production of sugar and alcohol, as it stores high concentrations of sucrose in its stem (Martini et al 2020)
The babassu palm stem was harvested from the field already in the process of decomposition, watered weekly to speed up the decomposition process and used at 60 days after its collection in the field
The maximum sprouts percentages of the sugarcane mini-cuttings were observed at 14 days after planting (DAP) for all the substrates, except S5, for which the sprouting occurred at 20 DAP
Summary
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), a member of the Poaceae family, is a grass of great socioeconomic importance grown in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide and used as a raw material for the production of sugar and alcohol, as it stores high concentrations of sucrose in its stem (Martini et al 2020). Brazil is the world’s largest producer of sugarcane. In the 2019-2020 crop season, it achieved a production of 642.7 million tons, with a harvested area of 8.4 million hectares and average yield of 76.5 t ha-1 (Conab 2020). The conventional mechanized planting of sugarcane requires a quantity of more than 20 t ha-1 of propagules (stems) (May & Ramos 2019) and accounts.
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