Stalk yield and nutrients accumulation of sugarcane varieties in three crop cycles

Abstract

Sugarcane nutritional requirement knowledge has great importance for an adequate crop management, since allows the selection of efficient varieties in the use of nutrients, contributing to a better use of fertilizers and reduction of production costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the stalks yield and the accumulation of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) of aerial biomass of four sugarcane varieties, RB867515, RB92579, SP813250 and VAT90212 during the plant-cane, first and second regrowth cycles. The experimental design was a randomized block with four treatments and five replicates. The cane was harvested due to maturity in the three crop cycles. The stalks yield and the nutrient accumulation of the aerial part of the varieties were evaluated. The stems yield presented were 126, 102 and 86 t ha-1 for plant-cane, first and second regrowth, respectively. Plant-cane macronutrients accumulation average presented the following decreasing order: K > N > Ca > Mg > S > P, for regrowth the observed sequence was K > N > Ca > S > Mg > P. The varieties presented high productive potential, and similar nutrients accumulation in the three cycles.