Mineral Nutrition and Fertilization of Sugarcane

Sugarcane extracts large amounts of nutrients from the soil and accumulates them in the plant due to its large mass production. Thus, agricultural practices ensuring adequate supply of nutrients to the crop must be adopted to obtain high crop yields in the cane plant cycle and small decreases in the subsequent cycles. In this chapter, the following items will be addressed and discussed: soil sampling, soil fertility evaluation, liming, plastering, cane plant chemical fertilization, sprout chemical fertilization, sugarcane nutritional status evaluation, organic fertilization, use of cultural remains and residues from sugar and alcohol industry, use of humic substances, fertilization, and quality of the sugarcane broth

Sugarcane Production Systems in Small Rural Properties

Sugarcane grown in small rural properties of the Zona da Mata region, located in the southeast of the state of Minas Gerais (MG), is generally intended for animal feed and the production of rapadura, brown sugar, cachaça, and ethanol. This chapter focuses on the authors’ experience on technologies recommended to small farmers for the implantation and management of sugarcane plantations. The following issues are addressed and discussed: planning and preparation of the sugarcane plantation; soil sampling and soil fertility assessment; application of lime and gypsum; setting up seedling nurseries; green fertilization in the areas of planting and renewal of sugarcane plantation; soil preparation, planting and chemical fertilization of plant-cane; weed and pest control; chemical fertilization of ratoon; assessment of sugarcane nutritional status; organic fertilization with crop residues and agroindustrial residues; mineralization of sugarcane straw; assessment of broth quality and sugar production; and renewal of the sugarcane plantation

Índices técnicos e rentabilidade da pecuária leiteira

Economic and technical results of a study involving 22 dairy farms in 10 municipalities of Viçosa, MG, Brazil, were evaluated. In the properties that presented negative economic results, problems were detected in the production phase. Technical indexes of the properties that presented a return rate higher than that of savings investment were taken as reference, and measures were proposed to increase the efficiency of the other farms. The scale of production is of the utmost importance to enhance dairy farm interest. Genetic standard improvement by means of artificial insemination with semen of animals with high productive potential has contributed to raise the productivity indexes of the herd, land and labor and, consequently, the economic indexes. Food and animal environment were relevant factors for the activity success. Increased milk quality via mechanized milking immediately followed by cooling has generated gains throughout the whole productive process.Avaliaram-se os resultados técnicos e econômicos em 22 propriedades leiteiras localizadas em dez municípios da Região de Viçosa, MG. Nas propriedades que apresentaram resultados econômicos negativos, detectaram-se os pontos de estrangulamento na produção e, tomando-se como referência os índices técnicos das propriedades que apresentaram taxa de retorno sobre o investimento superior ao da caderneta de poupança, foram propostas medidas para aumentar a eficiência dessas fazendas. A escala de produção foi considerada fator importante para obtenção de índices econômicos atrativos. A melhoria do padrão genético, através de inseminação artificial com sêmen de animais com maior potencial produtivo, contribuiu para elevar os índices de produtividade do rebanho, da terra e da mão-de-obra e, consequentemente os indicadores econômicos. A alimentação adequada, principalmente das vacas em lactação, foi muito importante para o sucesso da atividade. Investimento em qualidade do leite via controle sanitário do rebanho, ordenha mecanizada e resfriamento logo após a ordenha, podem ser uma estratégia para obter ganhos em toda a cadeia produtiva

Urea and sugarcane straw nitrogen balance in a soil-sugarcane crop system

Os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar a utilização do nitrogênio por soqueira de cana-de-açúcar de duas fontes, uréia e palha de cana-de-açúcar, e a recuperação do N de ambas as fontes no sistema solo-planta. Os tratamentos foram estabelecidos em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições: T1, mistura de vinhaça e uréia (100 kg ha-1 de N), aplicada em área total sobre o solo coberto com palha de cana-de-açúcar marcada com 15N; T2, mistura de vinhaça e uréia (uréia marcada com 15N – uréia-15N; 100 kg ha-1 de N) aplicada em área total sobre o solo coberto com palha de cana-de-açúcar não marcada; e T3, uréia-15N (100 kg ha-1 de N) enterrada em sulcos laterais às linhas de cana-de-açúcar, com prévia aplicação de vinhaça sobre o solo sem palha. A vinhaça foi aplicada no volume de 100 m3 ha-1 em todos os tratamentos. O experimento foi realizado em um Podzólico Vermelho-Amarelo (Paleudalf), entre outubro de 1997 e agosto de 1998, em Piracicaba, SP. A eficiência de uso de N da uréia pela soqueira de cana-de-açúcar foi de 21% e a de N da palha de cana-de-açúcar foi de 9%. A principal contribuição do N da palha de cana-de-açúcar é a manutenção ou aumento do N orgânico do solo. A tendência de menor acumulação, pela cana-de-açúcar, do N da uréia no tratamento com palha, foi compensada pela acumulação de N proveniente da mineralização da palha. O N da palha ficou disponível na segunda metade do ciclo da cultura.The objectives of this study were to evaluate nitrogen utilization by sugarcane ratoon from two sources, applied urea and sugarcane straw covering soil surface (trash blanket), besides the recovery of N from both sources in the soil-plant system. The following treatments were established in a randomized block design with four replicates: T1, vinasse-urea (100 kg ha-1 of urea-N) mixture applied on the total area of the soil covered with cane trash labeled with 15N; T2, vinasse-urea mixture (urea labeled with 15N; 100 kg ha-1 of urea-N) applied on the total area of the soil covered with non-labeled sugarcane trash; and T3, urea-15N (100 kg ha-1 of urea-N) applied in furrows at both sides of cane rows, with previous surface application of vinasse, onto soil without trash covering. The vinasse was applied at a rate of 100 m3 ha-1 in all treatments. The experiment was carried out on a Yellow Red Podzolic soil (Paleudalf), from October 1997 to August 1998, in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. The nitrogen use efficiency of urea by the sugarcane ratoon was 21%, while that of the sugarcane straw was 9%. The main contributions of N from sugarcane trash, during one cycle, are the preservation and increase of the organic N in soil. The tendency for a lower accumulation of urea-N in the sugarcane plant, in the soil surface covered with sugarcane residue, was compensated by the assimilation of N from trash mineralization. Nitrogen derived from cane trash was more available to plants in the second half of the ratoon cycle

Growth and accumulation of nitrogen by sugarcane cultivated in soil covered with cane trash

Este trabalho teve o objetivo de avaliar a utilização do nitrogênio da uréia e a influência da palhada na produtividade de soqueira de cana-de-açúcar. O experimento foi instalado no campo, num solo Podzólico Vermelho-Amarelo no Município de Piracicaba, SP, com dois tratamentos: mistura de vinhaça e uréia aplicada em toda a área sobre o solo coberto com palhada; uréia enterrada em sulcos nos dois lados das linhas da cana-de-açúcar, com prévia aplicação de vinhaça sobre o solo sem palhada. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Foram realizadas comparações de produtividade da cultura, do acúmulo de N pela parte aérea, da utilização do N da uréia pela cultura ao final do ciclo. O desenvolvimento vegetal foi representado por curvas de acúmulo de massa de material seco e pelos índices fisiológicos de taxa de produção de matéria seca e taxa de crescimento relativo, que foram semelhantes nas condições, com ou sem a presença da palhada de cana-de-açúcar. Do N total acumulado na parte aérea da soqueira de cana-de-açúcar, 10 a 16% foram absorvidos do fertilizante. A eficiência de utilização do N da uréia pela soqueira de cana foi em média de 17%, e não houve diferenças entre os tratamentos.The experiment was carried out to evaluate the use of nitrogen from urea and the influence of the cane trash in the productivity of sugarcane ratoon. It was a field experiment, in a ustalfs soil, in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil, in October 1997, with two treatments: application of a vinasse-urea mixture in the total area of a soil covered with cane trash; and urea buried in furrows in both sides of the cane rows, with previous application of vinasse in a soil without cane trash. A randomized block design with four replications was used. Parameters of crop productivity accumulation of N by the top and use of urea N by the crop were evaluated in each treatment. Plant development was represented by a dry matter mass accumulation and by physiological indexes of dry matter production rate and relative growth rate, which were similar in both conditions, with and without cane trash. From the total N accumulated in the top of the sugarcane ratoon, 10-16% was absorbed from the fertilizer. The mean efficiency of the use of urea N by the sugarcane ratoon was 17%

The use of data collection instruments in Qualitative Research: A study of tourism research papers

Advances in academic studies in tourism, as a multidisciplinary field of knowledge, have revealed new epistemological, theoretical and methodological possibilities for the consolidation of this field of research. In this context, this study presents some peculiarities and trends in qualitative research in this field. This article analyzes the use of data collection instruments in academic papers in tourism completed between 2010 and 2015 for the graduate program in tourism of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). An analysis of seventy master’s degree dissertations, available in the Institution’s repositories, contributed to reflection on the methodological routes taken by the researchers of this program. A preference for the qualitative approach was identified, with the use of a range of data collection instruments, such as semi-structured interviews, documents providing secondary data, and the researchers’ observations. It is believed that the choice of these instruments has furthered a deeper understanding of the tourism phenomenon, ensuring greater methodological rigor in this field of studies. The expansion of this analysis requires new research on papers of other graduate programs in Brazil, as well as more discussions about the adequacy of data collection instruments, objectives, and research methods proposed by academics in the field of tourism