Ratoon sugarcane yield integrated drip-irrigation and nitrogen fertilization

Glauber J De C Gava,Oriel T Kölln,João C C Saad,Raúl A M Uribe

doi:10.1590/s0100-69162013000600005

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the use of water and nitrogen on ratoon sugarcane during irrigated and rain-fed conditions, and to assess the production potential of stalks and sugar with different rates of N-fertilizer on the subsurface drip-irrigated management. The experimental design was a randomized block with four replications for each experiment and treatments: (T1) irrigated, 0kg N ha-1; (T2) irrigated, 70kg N ha-1; (T3) irrigated, 140kg N ha-1; (T4) irrigated, 210kg N ha-1; (T5) not irrigated, 0kg N ha-1, and (T6) not irrigated, 140kg N ha-1. Biometric, technological, dry matter and yield variables were analyzed among the treatments. The irrigation system together with the application of N-fertilizer at 140kg ha-1 presented significant differences in dry matter accumulation of shoots, and for the production of stalks and sugar, respectively 94, 105 and 106%, higher when compared to the not irrigated, without N-fertilizer (T5). There was a positive and synergistic effect of irrigation with N-fertilizer on the productivity of stalks and sugar. Ratoon sugarcane irrigated with subsurface dripping had the highest yield (22Mg ha-1 of sugar) with the dosage of 140kg ha-1 N.

Highlights

The increasing world demand for sugar and energy, has led to the rise in the cost of land in areas that traditionally produced sugarcane and the expansion of sugarcane cultivation to regions with higher water deficit (GONÇALVEZ, 2009)
It is assumed that the use of irrigation technology will increase their importance, and its focus will be: raising crop productivity, especially in traditional growing areas, and maintaining sustainability of new agricultural businesses, installed in the areas of greatest water deficit (DALRI & CRUZ, 2008; SILVA et al, 2009; GAVA et al, 2011)
The productive potential of irrigated sugarcane depends on a number of factors, including: the amount of water and fertilizers applied (WIEDNFELD, 2000; SILVA et al, 2009), the system and irrigation management, the cultivar, cutting age and the type of soil and climate (CARR & KNOX, 2011)

Summary

Introduction

The increasing world demand for sugar and energy (ethanol and bioelectricity), has led to the rise in the cost of land in areas that traditionally produced sugarcane and the expansion of sugarcane cultivation to regions with higher water deficit (GONÇALVEZ, 2009). It is assumed that the use of irrigation technology will increase their importance, and its focus will be: raising crop productivity, especially in traditional growing areas, and maintaining sustainability of new agricultural businesses, installed in the areas of greatest water deficit (DALRI & CRUZ, 2008; SILVA et al, 2009; GAVA et al, 2011). Drip-irrigation, when properly employed, can increase the efficiency of use of water and nutrients for the plant, including nitrogen, resulting in increased yield of stalks and sugar (NG KEE KWONG et al, 1999; GAVA et al, 2010). Regarding the interaction between nitrogen fertilizers and irrigation for sugarcane, THORBURN et al (2003) studied the importance of fertigation with N in four production cycles, and found that the yield of stalks and sugar responded to N fertilization through irrigation. RAVIKUMAR et al (2011) using the HYDRUS2D software determined that an efficient planning of drip-irrigation can reduce up to 30% in the use of urea as a source of N

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