Ratoon sugarcane yield integrated drip-irrigation and nitrogen fertilization

Abstract

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.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency for Sugarcane-Biofuel Production: What Is Next?

“…In southeastern Brazil, sugarcane harvest occurs from April to November, and fertilizers are usually applied right after harvesting, but~75 % of the total biomass and N content accumulated by sugarcane in the ratoon cycle occurs between December and March [45,46,160]. Thus, further research examining the viability of split application of N in the ratoon crop cycle is needed, as the evidence for the benefits of split application derive from studies of fertigated sugarcane, in which N is applied according to crop demand, resulting in high responsiveness to N [161,162]. The use of slow-or controlled-release fertilizers may serve a similar purpose.…”

Geometry and head loss in Venturi injectors through computational fluid dynamics

“…The contribution of chemicals in the water, referred to as chemigation, is a technique that is currently often developed in pressurized irrigation methods (SANTOS et al, 2012) such as a sprinkling (DANTAS NET et al, 2013) and localized irrigation (REZENDE et al, 2010;. URIBE et al, 2013).…”

Decision-making on the optimum timing for nitrogen fertilization on sugarcane ratoon

“…This may explain the difference in stalk yield due to fertilization timing in the first season, because N useefficiency is controlled by a series of edaphoclimatic factors, as rainfall increases the capacity of N uptake by plants enhancing the nutritional status (Marschner, 2012) and thereafter yield (Silveira et al, 2007;Uribe et al, 2013). The absence of response to N application in the second year (Table 2) is associated with a drought that occurred in 2014 (Figure 1) as described above, which influenced some reactions in the soil-plant-atmosphere system (release of nutrients, solubilization of fertilizer granules in the soil solution, and reduction in soil N mineralization for the 2015 growing season), which are dependent on soil moisture, temperature and reactions mediated by microorganisms (Cantarella et al, 2008;Otto et al, 2013).…”