Stalk yield and nitrogen (15N) recovery of irrigated sugarcane during the plant-cane cycle using urea

Abstract

Sugarcane is the most promising among crops that produce renewable biofuels. An adequate availability of water and nutrients, especially nitrogen (N), is of utmost importance. The objective of this study was to evaluate stalk yield and the recovery of N-urea by sugarcane (plant-cane) subjected to different levels of water replacements and nitrogen fertilization doses using the 15 N isotopic dilution technique. The experiment was conducted in the southwest region of the state of Goiás, Brazil, using plastic pots. The experimental design was complete randomized blocks analyzed in 3 × 3 split plots with three replications. The treatments consisted of three levels of water replacements (75, 50 and 25%) and three N doses (60, 120 and 180 kg ha-1) in the form of enriched 15 N urea. N doses did not affect stalk yield, probably because 91.14% of all N accumulated in culms came from the soil and other sources. The rainfall (1,194.2 mm) was sufficient to meet the water requirements of the crop. The recovery of N-urea was not influenced by the N doses and represented on average of 20.5% of the total amount applied. The soil and other sources were the main providers of N to sugarcane plants regardless of the mineral-N dose applied.

Tecnologias adotadas para a melhoria da fertilidade do solo e a produção de forragem pela variedade de cana-de-açúcar RB867515, em cinco cortes

“…Estudos conduzidos por Bastos et al (2017) também mostraram que a cana-planta não responde a adubação nitrogenada. Esses autores avaliaram a produtividade de colmos e a recuperação de N-ureia pela cana-planta submetida a diferentes níveis de reposição de água no solo, associadas às doses de adubação nitrogenada.…”