Sugarcane Response to Boron and Zinc in Southeastern Brazil

Abstract

The application of micronutrients on the sugarcane crop in Brazil is not a widespread practice, due to the few studies developed under Brazilian conditions. Nevertheless, the crop advance to lower fertility soils and the introduction of varieties with greater yield potential will change the nutrient management. In this context, two experiments were developed with boron (B) or zinc (Zn) application with the aim of evaluating yield, technological attributes and biometric indexes of sugarcane during the plant cane cycle and the residual effect of this fertilization on the first ratoon. The experiments were developed in Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil. In both trials, the doses of B (2 and 4 kg ha -1 ) and Zn (3 and 6 kg ha -1 ) were applied in top dressing. The crop was harvested around 13 months after the treatments application and, after the first harvest, all the plots received the same doses of N, P 2 O 5 and K 2 O, to evaluating the residual effect on the first ratoon. The B application reduced the above ground biomass, TSS (tons of sugarcane stalks per hectare) and sugar yield in the plant cane. However, the Zn fertilization improved the stalk technological quality, as well as providing a residual effect, increasing the above ground biomass, TSS and stalk yield (dry matter). The dry matter accumulation showed three growth phases during the plant cane cycle, similar to the B and Zn accumulation. The fertilization with B, especially with high solubility sources, must be careful to avoid yield reduction.

Uptake and Distribution of Soil Applied Zinc by Citrus Trees—Addressing Fertilizer Use Efficiency with 68Zn Labeling

“…The acid soils are the main soil types in Brazil, which produces nearly 40% of the world’s orange juice. Other crops, such as sugar cane, coffee and rubber tree may also respond positively to Zn management under similar conditions [ 3 , 4 ].…”

Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho1*, Salatir Buzetti1, Cssia Maria de Paula Garcia1, Cleiton Gredson Sabin Benett2, Katiane Santiago Silva Benett3, Marcelo Andreotti1 and Fernando Shintate Galindo1

“…But it is important to emphasize that there was a mean increase for plantsugarcane in the stalk yield of 9.7 t ha -1 compared to the control (without zinc fertilization). Franco et al (2009), working with rates of Zn (0, 3 and 6 kg ha -1 ) applied to the soil about 20 cm from the plants, in the form of zinc sulfate dissolved in water (200 L ha -1 ) and 90 days after planting the crop, also did not observe increases in the productivity of the plant-sugarcane stalks. Costa Filho and Prado (2008), studying the application of Zn rates in the third-ratoon-sugarcane, also found no significant effect on the productivity of stalks in soils with low Zn content.…”

“…Historically in Brazil, the alcohol sector has received little attention to the response of sugarcane to the application of micronutrients. Consequently, this is not a widespread practice in the agricultural companies producing sugarcane (Franco et al, 2009). However, micronutrient deficiencies can cause serious problems to crop development, especially productivity losses, as the micronutrients play crucial roles in plant metabolism.…”

Assessing the Content of Micronutrients in Soils and Sugarcane in Different Pedogeological Contexts of Northeastern Brazil

“…For instance, Marinho and Albuquerque (1981) reported stalk yield increases over 40 Mg ha -1 as a response to Cu addition to soils. Studies to other Brazilian regions have shown significant increase in sugarcane yield with the application of micronutrients (Malavolta, 1990;Mellis et al, 2016) whereas others showed no response to micronutrient fertilization (Farias et al, 2009;Franco et al, 2011).…”