Sugarcane nutrition for food and environmental security/ Nutrição da cana-de-açúcar para segurança alimentar e ambiental

Sugarcane is an important cash crop cultivated globally from temperate to tropical regions. Improving cane yield and recovery sustainably is an important research area for improving livelihoods of the cane farmers. Among different approaches sill judicious and integrated use of nutrients as per plant needs holds the special place. Further, applying need based N management through optical gadgets viz. Leaf color chart (LCC), SPAD, Green seeker, integrated nutrient management, fertigation, special focus on for improving the efficiency of different fertilizers through different state of art technologies. For having higher fertilizer use efficiency in sugarcane, some aspects of fertilization especially How much? What type of? When to add? Is it worth? Number of splits? Mode of action? must be considered both for seed or ratoon. Further, soil textural class and climatic conditions on one side while on changing climatic conditions also affected it a lot. Further, inherent fertility status of the soils is also an important factor which affects the fate of applied fertilizers. There is a need to create awareness in between the farmers for not to applying huge quantity of different fertilizers as per their neighboring farmers, rather farmer should be smart enough to adopt different technologies in a smart way for having better benefits and thus livelihoods as the purpose is to fed the canes but not the soil. In the present review an attempt being made to compare the comparative performance of sugarcane with respect to fertilization for finally guiding the sugarcane cultivars. Idea is to enlighten them regarding need based sustainable fertilization with an aim to improve the fertilizer use efficiencies for having improved yield and quality parameters instead of loading the soil with much of fertilizers which further have environmental concerns.  

Organic fertilization with poultry litter and sugarcane juice quality / Adubação orgânica com cama de aviário e qualidade do caldo da cana-de-açúcar

The ripening of sugarcane is influenced by weather conditions, crop variety and practice. Harvesting ripe sugarcane reduces transportation costs and increases industrial efficiency and alcoholic fermentation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of organic fertilization with poultry litter on sugarcane ripening and juice quality. We used first and second regrowth of sugarcane variety RB867515 grown in medium-textured soil. The study was conducted in the city of Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The treatments consisted of three doses of poultry litter (7.0; 10.0 and 13.0 t of dry matter ha/yr), chemical fertilization (180 kg N + 225 kg K ha/yr) and a control (no chemical or organic fertilization). In both years, sugarcane was harvested in early August. There was no influence of poultry litter fertilization on sugarcane ripening and juice quality. The average contents of soluble solids, sucrose in juice, stalk fiber and juice purity were respectively 22%; 19% and 88%.

Dry matter allocation and chemical composition of brachiaria brizantha and decumbens 45 days after emergence / Alocação da matéria seca e composição química das braquiárias brizantha e decumbens, aos 45 dias após emergência

This study evaluated dry matter allocation and chemical composition of brachiaria brizantha and decumbens under conditions of good nutrient supply. The study was conducted in the city of Coruripe, East Mesoregion of the state of Alagoas, in a medium-textured dystrophic red-yellow latosol. The experimental design was randomized blocks with five replications, and the plots consisted of five furrows of five meters in length, spaced 0.60 meters apart. Phosphorus was applied at the bottom the open furrows at a dose equivalent to 50 kg of P ha-1. Nitrogen and potassium fertilizers were applied at doses equivalent to 150 ha-1 when plants were approximately 5 cm tall.  Evaluations of dry matter accumulation and allocation were carried out 45 days after plant emergence, when light interception by leaves was approximately 90%.  Both species showed high growth rates, with an average shoot dry matter accumulation of 5.64 t ha-1, but brachiaria decumbens was about 25% more productive than brachiaria brizantha. There was no effect of the species on the percentage of dry matter allocation and about 50% of it was allocated to in the leaves. There was also no species effect on shoot crude protein content, which had an average of 106 g kg-1, enough to ensure good ruminal fermentation. Brachiaria decumbens had higher calcium, magnesium and sulfur contents compared to brachiaria brizantha, although adequate contents of these three nutrients were also found in brachiaria brizantha

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

Nutritional status, nutrient accumulation and yield of corn grown in Yellow-Red Oxisol

Corn extracts and accumulates high amounts of soil nutrients due to its high forage yield. The aim of this study was to evaluate nutritional status, nutrient accumulation, and forage yield of corn hybrid BM 3066 PRO2, as well as primary macronutrient balance in the soil-plant system. Thus, a systematic sampling was carried out in seven crop areas of corn grown in a Yellow-Red Oxisol. Plants did not show nutrient deficiency. Leaf contents had the following decreasing order of concentration N> K> Ca> P> S> Mg> Fe = Mn> Zn> B> Cu. Biometric evaluations were carried out and we found average plant height and first ear insertion height of 2.42m and 1.52m, respectively. Fresh and dry biomass yields were 57.17 and 18.36 t ha-1, respectively. The accumulation of primary macronutrients in plant shoot biomass was 235.95 kg ha-1 N, 36.99 kg ha-1 P and 225.53 kg ha-1 K. Nutrient balance was positive for nitrogen (9.1 kg) and phosphorus (22 kg), but negative for potassium (-15 kg)

Nitrogen fertilization in sugarcane nurseries / Adubação nitrogenada em viveiros de cana-de-açúcar

The production of healthy sugarcane seedlings and varieties with high yield potential is the most costly aspect in setting up a sugarcane field. This study evaluated the effect of nitrogen fertilization at 0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg N ha-1 on plant nutritional status and seedling yield of two varieties of sugarcane: RB835486 and RB867515. The study was conducted in an experimental design of randomized blocks with four replications in a medium textured soil in the city of Mercês, located in the Mata Mineira region, from October 2015 to March 2016. The soil received liming and gypsum at a dose of 5.0 t of dolomitic limestone and 1.5 t of gypsum. The soil was then plowed, harrowed and subsoiled. We applied 100 kg P (229 kg P2O5) and 200 kg potassium to the bottom of the planting furrow. Nitrogen fertilization did not affect plant nutritional status and seedling yield. The plants were well nourished and the average yield was 65 t of seedlings per hectare.The production of healthy sugarcane seedlings and varieties with high yield potential is the most costly aspect in setting up a sugarcane field. This study evaluated the effect of nitrogen fertilization at 0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg N ha-1 on plant nutritional status and seedling yield of two varieties of sugarcane: RB835486 and RB867515. The study was conducted in an experimental design of randomized blocks with four replications in a medium textured soil in the city of Mercês, located in the Mata Mineira region, from October 2015 to March 2016. The soil received liming and gypsum at a dose of 5.0 t of dolomitic limestone and 1.5 t of gypsum. The soil was then plowed, harrowed and subsoiled. We applied 100 kg P (229 kg P2O5) and 200 kg potassium to the bottom of the planting furrow. Nitrogen fertilization did not affect plant nutritional status and seedling yield. The plants were well nourished and the average yield was 65 t of seedlings per hectare