Yield and technological quality of sugarcane under irrigation depths and nitrogen fertilization

Marcos F De Mendoça,Patrícia F Da Silva,Emídio C A De Oliveira,José Dantas Neto

doi:10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v24n7p482-489

Abstract

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the stalk yield, sugar yield and technological quality of two varieties of sugarcane under different irrigation depths and nitrogen doses. The experiment was conducted in two consecutive years (2015 and 2016) at Olho D’Água Farm, in Itambé, Pernambuco, Brazil. The experimental design was randomized blocks in the split-split-strip-plot scheme, with four replicates. Treatments consisted of four irrigation depths (L1 = 12, L2 = 45, L3 = 100 and L4 = 125% of the crop evapotranspiration - ETc, plant cane) and (L1 = 10, L2 = 40, L3 = 100 and L4 = 125% ETc, ratoon cane), four doses of nitrogen (N1 = 0, N2 = 50, N3 = 100 and N4 = 200 kg ha-1 of N) and two varieties of sugarcane (RB92579 and RB002754). Sugarcane plants irrigated with the highest depths of 1,324.06 and 1,242.3 mm in the plant cane and ratoon cane cycles respectively produced 38.40 and 49.14 t of stalks ha-1 and 0.48 and 1.82 t of sugar ha-1 more, compared to those irrigated with the lowest depths of 124.06 and 99.4 mm. The highest stalk yield was obtained with the combination of 120.7 kg ha-1 of N and 1266.6 mm of irrigation depth. Sugarcane technological quality is positively correlated with the increase of the irrigation depth in the plant cane and ratoon cane cycles and negatively correlated with nitrogen.

Highlights

IntroductionOne of the limitations to the expansion of the sugar-alcohol sector in Brazil and in the world is the fact that sugarcane fields are planted in acidic, low-fertility soils and in regions with lower or even irregular rainfall, which does not meet the water needs of the crop, influencing its yield and technological quality (Oliveira et al, 2011; Silva et al, 2014).Knowledge on the water needs of the crop, associated with the rational management of irrigation and fertilization, in this scenario, are important tools to reduce the effects of water scarcity and, increase the stalk production potential and technological quality, that is, it aims to meet the water demand of the crop and improve agro-industrial yields (Uribe et al, 2016).Dellabiglia et al (2018) state that, for sugarcane, increments in agro-industrial yield require an adequate water and nutritional supply, in particular with the mineral element nitrogen (N), a nutrient with direct effect on sprouting and tillering, influencing the production capacity of the crop in terms of stalk and sugar.Irrigation, along with fertilization, contributes to high levels of total soluble solids (°Brix), Pol, purity, total recoverable sugars (TRS) and sugar yield, providing a better economic yield, since these are limiting factors to sugarcane production because, as their availability increases, the crop expresses its production potential with different responses between varieties (Vieira et al, 2014).the objective of this study was to evaluate the stalk and sugar yields and the technological quality of two varieties of sugarcane under different irrigation depths and N doses
Treatments consisted of four irrigation depths, four doses of nitrogen (N1 = 0; N2 = 50; N3 = 100 and N4 = 200 kg ha-1 of N) based on the nutritional requirements of the crop, with ammonium nitrate as N source, and two varieties of sugarcane (RB92579 and RB002754)
The data of sugar yield (TPH) as a function of the irrigation depth for the plant cane and ratoon cane cycles are found in Figure 2C, which shows a linear fit for both cycles, estimating at 1,324.06 and 1,242.3 mm the irrigation depth that maximizes TPH, which corresponded to 12.05 and 13.64 t ha-1, respectively. These results show different responses attributed to the management of the irrigation depth, disagreeing with the results reported by Silva et al (2014), who obtained means higher than those found in this study, because the average sugar yield (TPH) was 20.5 t ha-1 in the first cycle and 21.5 t ha-1 in the second cycle

Summary

Introduction

One of the limitations to the expansion of the sugar-alcohol sector in Brazil and in the world is the fact that sugarcane fields are planted in acidic, low-fertility soils and in regions with lower or even irregular rainfall, which does not meet the water needs of the crop, influencing its yield and technological quality (Oliveira et al, 2011; Silva et al, 2014).Knowledge on the water needs of the crop, associated with the rational management of irrigation and fertilization, in this scenario, are important tools to reduce the effects of water scarcity and, increase the stalk production potential and technological quality, that is, it aims to meet the water demand of the crop and improve agro-industrial yields (Uribe et al, 2016).Dellabiglia et al (2018) state that, for sugarcane, increments in agro-industrial yield require an adequate water and nutritional supply, in particular with the mineral element nitrogen (N), a nutrient with direct effect on sprouting and tillering, influencing the production capacity of the crop in terms of stalk and sugar.Irrigation, along with fertilization, contributes to high levels of total soluble solids (°Brix), Pol, purity, TRS and sugar yield, providing a better economic yield, since these are limiting factors to sugarcane production because, as their availability increases, the crop expresses its production potential with different responses between varieties (Vieira et al, 2014).the objective of this study was to evaluate the stalk and sugar yields and the technological quality of two varieties of sugarcane under different irrigation depths and N doses. One of the limitations to the expansion of the sugar-alcohol sector in Brazil and in the world is the fact that sugarcane fields are planted in acidic, low-fertility soils and in regions with lower or even irregular rainfall, which does not meet the water needs of the crop, influencing its yield and technological quality (Oliveira et al, 2011; Silva et al, 2014). Knowledge on the water needs of the crop, associated with the rational management of irrigation and fertilization, in this scenario, are important tools to reduce the effects of water scarcity and, increase the stalk production potential and technological quality, that is, it aims to meet the water demand of the crop and improve agro-industrial yields (Uribe et al, 2016).

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Conclusion