Soil fertility under different tillage systems in sugarcane expansion area

Abstract

In sugarcane expansion areas where soil fertility restrictions regularly occur, soil preparing ameliorates soil physical and chemical properties to improve conditions for sugarcane crop development. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate soil chemical attributes under different soil preparation methods for sugarcane cultivation at the first and second year of expansion area in the Cerrado biome. The experiment was conducted in an area previously used as pasture land for more than 10 years with Brachiaria decumbens without any soil correction. CTC-2 sugarcane variety was planted. The experiment was set up as a randomized block design with six treatments and four replications. The treatments were: desiccation-liming-plowing-harrowing; liming-plowing-harrowing; liming-harrowing-plowing-harrowing; desiccation-liming-direct planting; desiccation-liming-subsoiling, and harrowing-liming-plowing-harrowing. Soil attributes: organic matter, water pH, H++Al3+, Al3+, m, V, H2PO4-, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and S-SO4-2 were evaluated at 0-0.2, 0.2-0.4 and 0.4-0.6 m soil depth. The variables were submitted ANOVA, joint analysis and Tukey’s test (p < 0.05). The treatments including liming followed by harrowing, plowing and harrowing, and harrowing followed by liming, plowing and harrowing, resulted in the largest gains in soil fertility. In the first year of sugarcane cultivation, the no-tillage system proved to be sustainable and appropriate for sugarcane cultivation economically viable.