Fertilization, nutrition and efficient use of N, P and K to maximize the agricultural productivity of energy cane

• Grant number: 21/10058-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: March 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Cassio Hamilton Abreu Junior
• Grantee: Dalila Lopes da Silva
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Energy cane has a high potential for bioenergy production, given the higher biomass production than other crops. However, there is still no information about the response to fertilization and the nutritional requirement of the crop. There are hypotheses that energy cane will have a greater response to fertilization in the first cultivation cycle, with positive effects on productivity and greater extraction of nutrients by the first ratoon; and that under full irrigation conditions it will present greater demand and extraction of nutrients, due to greater biomass production. The objective is to evaluate the effect of NPK fertilization on productivity, nutritional status, demand, extraction, N, P and K use efficiency, and technological qualities of the energy cane crop. Four different experiments, consisting of the cultivation of two varieties of energy cane (Vertix 3 - medium fiber and sucrose content, and Vertix 2 - high fiber and low sucrose content) under two cultivation conditions (deficit and full irrigation), respectively. They will be implanted in a greenhouse, in pots of 167 dm3, in randomized blocks, in a 3x3x3 factorial scheme, in which the effects of 3 levels of 15N, 33P and 40K (60, 180 and 300 kg ha-1) will be evaluated of N, P2O5 and K2O, using urea, triple superphosphate and potassium chloride respectively), with 3 repetitions. It is intended to obtain information on the effects of N, P and K doses on the efficiency of use, extraction and allocation of nutrients from fertilizers in the biomass (leaf, stem and broth), and their effect on biomass production, through surface studies of response curves (sufficiency bands, DRIS and CND) for each cultivation condition.