Sugarcane (interspecific hybrids of Saccharum spp.) is Florida's most valuable agronomic crop. Recently, sugarcane production has com•~ under scrutiny because of concerns regarding the impact of nutrient-rich drainage water on the ecology of adjoining bodies of water and wetlands. The objective of our research was to define the N, P, K, Ca, and Mg seasonal accumulation patterns in the aerial portion of sugarcane grown on organic soils of the Everglades Agricultural Area. Sugarcane fields were sampled on 30 to 60 d intervals during the plant-cane and first-ratoon crops. Dry weight, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg accumulation were determined and characterized by logistic growth models. Dry weight accumulation averaged 0.15 t ha-• d-' during the grand growth period. The period of most rapid nutrient uptake was shown to correspond with the grand growth period and the rates of nutrient uptake during different phases of crop de· velopment were defined. At harvest, 71% of total dry matter and 55, 63, 64, 25, and 38o/o of total accumulated N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, respectively, were removed from the field as millable sugarcane. Phosphorus and K removal from the field by crop harvest was equivalent to 1.79 and 201%, respectively, of added fertilizer P and K. Apparently, fertilizer P and K were minor contributors to the total soil pool of plant available P and K. Nutrient accumulation patterns should be incorporated into future management plans designed to minimize the impact of sugarcane production on the surrounding environment.
Phosphorus in drainage water leaving the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) in southern Florida is alleged to be contributing to the accelerated eutrophication of Lake Okeechobee and the degradation of the Water Conservation Areas and the Everglades National Park ecosystems. Agricultural “best management practices” (BMPs) offer a means for achieving reductions in P in drainage water. Prior to developing and implementing BMPs, it is necessary to establish baseline EAA P concentrations. Baseline total P (TP) and total dissolved P (TDP) concentrations for various crop and field conditions in the EAA were determined. Thirty‐six 0.7‐ha plots were installed at four locations. Average TP and TDP concentrations were derived from 6 to 30 drainage events for each of five conditions between November 1988 and December 1989: sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), and cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) production fields, flooded fallow fields, and drained fallow fields. Baseline TP and TDP concentrations for main farm canals and rainfall were also determined. Average TP concentrations ranged from 0.25 mg L−1 for radishes to 1.03 mg L−1 during the drain‐down of flooded fallow plots. Total dissolved P concentrations ranged from 48 to 80% of TP. Main farm canal TP concentrations averaged 0.16 mg L−1. Total P concentrations in rainfall averaged 0.07 mg L−1 Total P in drainage water during 1989 for sugarcane, cabbage, and drained fallow fields were 0.72, 1.38, and 0.59 kg ha−1, respectively. During the radish season, drainage water TP loading was 0.8 kg ha−1. Flooded fallow fields after radishes yielded a TP loading rate of 3.82 kg ha−1. Total P loading to the fields from rainfall averaged 0.70 kg ha−1. Total dissolved P loading rates ranged from 25 to 60% of TP. Potential areas for BMP development and implementation for P concentration and loading reduction in the EAA include drainage rate, volume, and timing management, fertilizer use reduction, and enhanced crop rotation strategies.
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