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Factors Responsible for Low Yields of Sugar Cane in Old Cultivated Terra Roxa Estruturada Soils in Eastern Brazil
Author(s) -
Primavesi Artur,
Primavesi Anna Maria
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1964.03615995002800040037x
Subject(s) - sugar cane , cane , geography , archaeology , humanities , forestry , sugar , art , agricultural science , environmental science , biology , biochemistry
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR LOW YIELDS OF SUGAR CANE IN OLD CULTIVATED TERRA ROXA ESTRUTURADA SOILS IN EASTERN BRAZIL Y IELDS OF SUGAR CANE (Sacharum officinarum) are often low in eastern Brazil and show little or no response to dressings of commercial fertilizers. The object of this investigation was to determine whether poor yields were related to lack of fertility or to deterioration of soil structure after years of cultivation. These studies were conducted on a large sugar cane plantation in southeastern Minas Gerais state of eastern Brazil. The Terra Roxa Estruturada soils investigated have a textural B2 horizon and form in basic volcanic materials. In some ways they are like the Low Humic Latasols, but not equal. They are also similar to the Red Loams of South Africa and nearly equivalent to the "Laterite Pardo Rojiza" of Chile. They contain 39 to 57% clay. The climate is tropical with a 10-year average precipitation of 1,237 mm. The months of May through September are a rigorous tropical dry period and cane is cut soon after the dry period starts. Two fields of about 100 hectares each with the same flat topography were selected. Field 1 of 96.3 hectares was an uncropped area of virgin soil cleared during the year before planting of its native vegetation containing mostly peroba (Aspidosperma gomezianum A.D.C.), canela preta (Ocotea pulchella), jacaranda (Machoerium villoseum V,), Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril), e ipe roxo (Tecoma Ipe Mart.) and other woods. Field 2 containing 98.1 hectares was an old cane field cropped for 23 years and fertilized during the last 9 years before renovation. Both fields were limed with 1,500 kg. of limestone per hectare. Both fields were planted at the same time with sugar cane stalks 40 cm. long of the variety CB 4513 always placed one overlapping the other 3 cm. in furrows 40 cm. deep and 120 cm. apart as is the custom in the region. At planting, a dressing of 200 kg. of bonemeal (the customary P-fertilizer of the zone), 47.2 kg. of K (90 kg. KC1) and 11.5 kg. of N (70 kg. NaNO3) per hectare was applied in each furrow. Each succeeding year a topdressing was applied at the begining of the second rain month containing 26.4 kg. of P (60 kg. P2O5 as super-