Abstract
Potassium (K) is one of the essential nutrients for plants; nevertheless, it has been reported that overdoses of K fertilizer have resulted in impaired sugarcane juice quality and a reduction in the efficiency of sugar processing. Therefore, to maximize sugar production per unit area, K levels in sugarcane should be kept just adequate. The aim of this study was to propose a practical method of K fertilizer management based on the nutritional status of sugarcane juice. First, we conducted a pot experiment treating sugarcane with different K fertilizers (potassium chloride, KCl and potassium sulfate, K2SO4) and K rates (0, 2, 10, 30, and 50 g pot-1). Raising KCl rates caused considerably negative impacts on not only the quality but the yield as juice K concentration exceeded 2000 mg L-1, whereas the effects of the K2SO4 treatments were less severe. Second, we collected sugarcane juice at a raw sugar factory over 2 years. Because of its ease of measurement, electrical conductivity was used to deduce juice K concentration. The juice analysis revealed that more than 60% of the samples possessed K concentrations higher than 2000 mg L-1, and the relationship between juice K and sugarcane quality was significantly negative. These results indicate that impairments of sugarcane quality have probably been occurring in the actual fields. Given that sugarcane is generally fertilized with KCl, reducing K fertilizer dose should contribute to improving sugarcane quality and accordingly sugar yield when juice K is considered high.
Highlights
In sugarcane production, it is necessary to improve juice quality as well as cane yield to maximize sugar production per unit area
Fertilizer management practice is one of the factors that affect sugarcane quality and appropriate practices based on the nutritional status of each field are imperative for quality improvement
Treatment effects were observed from 69 days after transplanting (DAT) in the K levels using potassium chloride (KCl) groups and the differences became gradually clearer in later periods
Summary
It is necessary to improve juice quality as well as cane yield to maximize sugar production per unit area. Fertilizer management practice is one of the factors that affect sugarcane quality and appropriate practices based on the nutritional status of each field are imperative for quality improvement. Potassium (K) is one of the three essential macronutrients for plant growth, along with nitrogen and phosphorus, and plays numerous roles including enzyme activation, stomatal activity, photosynthesis, transport of sugar, water, and nutrient, and synthesis of protein and starch [1]. Bartholomew and Janssen have made an observation that plants absorb considerably more K than is necessary for the normal processes of growth, known as luxury consumption [2]. The K requirement can be nearly as high as the nitrogen requirement. Sugarcane may remove up to 800 kg of K ha-1 [3]
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