Potassium fertilization in sugarcane ratoon yield grown in a tropical region

Abstract

Potassium (K) is closely associated to the improvement of sugarcane quality, acting in the conversion of reducing sugar (RS) to recoverable sugars (TRS). The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of different levels of K-fertilization on the yield and technological quality of sugarcane ratoons grown under edaphoclimatic conditions in the Brazilian central region. The experiment was carried out using the sugarcane variety CTC-4, in a Distrofic Latosols, medium texture (270 g clay kg−1). The study was arranged in a randomized complete block design, with five treatments (0; 50; 100; 150 and 200 kg K2O ha−1), and five replicates. Potassium content in soil and plant, biometric variables, stalk yield and the technological quality at harvest were evaluated. The 200 kg ha−1 dose increased the K content in 160, 156, 56 and 3% in 0–0.20 and 0.20–0.40 m layers at 180 and 360 days after budding (DAB), respectively, promoting greater absorption of the nutrient by plants (X ̅ = 15.22 g kg−1). The higher potassium absorption reflected in yield gains, with an increasing of 7.9%, compared to the control treatment, yielding 100.37 t ha−1. However, soil K fertilization did not affect the technological quality of the sugarcane ratoon.