Straw management effects on sugarcane growth, nutrient cycling and water use in the Brazilian semiarid region

Author(s)

Carlos Andre Alves de Souza ^[1] ; Thieres George Freire da Silva ^[2] ; Luciana Sandra Bastos de Souza ^[3] ; Magna Soelma Beserra de Moura ^[4] ; Paulo Pedro Silva ^[5] ; Fábio Ricardo Marin ^[6]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. Unidade Acadêmica Serra Talhada - Brasil

^[2] Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. Unidade Acadêmica Serra Talhada - Brasil

^[3] Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. Unidade Acadêmica Serra Talhada - Brasil

^[4] Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária. Embrapa Semiárido - Brasil

^[5] Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. Unidade Acadêmica Serra Talhada - Brasil

^[6] Universidade de São Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”. Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Bragantia; v. 79, n. 4, p. 525-533, 2020-10-19.

Abstract

ABSTRACT It was evaluated how straw management modifies the development, growth, nutrient cycling and crop water productivity of sugarcane in the semiarid region of Brazil. The experiment was carried out using two plots with 5 ha each, being one without straw on the soil surface and one with 26 Mg·ha-1 covering the soil. Sugarcane growth and development and straw decomposition coefficient were evaluated, whereas the industrial yield, juice quality, dry matter partitioning, and crop water productivity were determined at harvesting. The straw decomposition coefficient was 0.0049 Mg·ha-1·day-1, and the remaining dry mass was equal to 24%. The straw affected the sugarcane growth and development until the first 100 days. The individual internode volume can be adopted as an indicator of the effect of straw on sugarcane growth because the internode volumes up to the sixth position in the with-straw treatment crop were lower than in the no-straw treatment, which was not observed in other variables of the stalks. Keeping straw on the soil surface reduced the crop lodging. Yield and juice quality were not affected, but crop water productivity was increased by keeping sugarcane straw in the field. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/20925-0 - Brazilian yield-gap atlas: assessing the potential for sustainable intensification of Brazilian agriculture
• Grantee: Fabio Ricardo Marin
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/50445-0 - Brazilian yield-gap atlas: assessing the potential for sustainable intensification of Brazilian agriculture
• Grantee: Fabio Ricardo Marin
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants