**9. Chemical and organic fertilization of regrowth**

The fertilization of the regrowth of sugarcane recommended for small farmers is based on the recovery of nitrogen and potassium removed by harvesting the previous cut. In one ton of natural matter of sugarcane biomass (industrializable culms + dry leaves + green leaves + buds), there is 850 kg of industrializable culms on average. Thus, the average index of industrializable culms in biomass is 0.85. For each ton of sugarcane biomass exported from the plantation, 1.2 kg of nitrogen and 1.5 kg of potassium are removed [1, 4]. Assuming that the yield of the plant-cane was 150 t of biomass (about 120 t of industrializable culms), the application of 180 kg of nitrogen and 225 kg of potassium is recommended. There is no need to split fertilization for fear of leaching losses of both nitrogen and potassium [1].

If sugarcane has been harvested for animal feed, the amount of dry leaves on the soil is small. Thus, burying the fertilizer between the crop rows is recommended. Urea can be used as the source of nitrogen in this case. If the fertilizer cannot be buried between the crop rows, ammoniacal or nitric sources should be used to fertilize the regrowth, because volatilization losses are very high when urea is applied over the straw. More detailed information on losses by volatilization and quantification of potassium in the profile of soil grown with sugarcane can be found in Ref. [1].

The application of the fertilizer in regrowth using a walk-behind spreader has been traditional in small properties. It is of low cost and precise, which greatly increases the workers' efficiency. A worker using a spreader covers more than 2.0 ha per day. The use of dairy cattle manure to fertilize sugarcane is a way to reduce production costs, recycle nutrients, and improve soil physical, chemical and biological properties. The efficiency of dairy cattle manure in the mineral nutrition of sugarcane depends on the chemical composition of the waste, the dose and environmental factors, especially temperature and soil moisture. The chemical analysis of cattle manure allows us to calculate the amounts that should be applied to the soil to restore the nutrients removed by harvesting. **Table 7** shows the results of the chemical analysis of manure of dairy cattle fed with different roughage and amounts of concentrated feed. In harvesting 150 tons of forage (culms + side branches + leaves), 150, 45, and 225 kg of N, P, and K, respectively, were removed. The K/N ratio of forage is 1.5, which is much higher than that of cattle manure. Thus, if the sugarcane plantation is fertilized with cattle manure, it is necessary to supplement fertilization with potassium to replace nutrients removed with the harvest.

Poultry litter is another alternative for the organic fertilization of sugarcane. In recent years, this waste has had its demand and price reduced because of a ban on its use in cattle feed. The concentration of nutrients in poultry litter is influenced by the bedding material. Most poultry farmers of the Zona da Mata region use rice husk, coffee husk, napier grass, shavings, and corn cobs. **Table 8** shows the nutrient contents of five poultry litters composed of different bedding materials collected after being used in a batch of broilers (48 days on average), at a density of 15 birds/m2 .

The authors evaluated the maturation and broth quality of the sugarcane variety RB867515, which were influenced by the fertilization with poultry litter. The study

**35**

in poultry litter is 0.80.

**10. Final considerations**

*Sugarcane Production Systems in Small Rural Properties DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84975*

> **DM in manure**

Pasture 9.0 14.1 19.4 14.4 12.0 13.9 7.1 3.5 0,62 Corn silage 8.0 13.9 23.6 10.0 10.4 10.5 5.1 3.1 0,44 Corn silage 10.0 11.7 21.1 10.9 11.2 11.6 4.5 3.4 0,53 Corn silage 12.0 12.9 24.1 11.2 11.7 12.3 4.6 3.6 0,48

*Percentage of dry matter in dairy cattle manure (% DM in manure) and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S) contents in manure of dairy cows fed with* 

**Poultry litter N P K Ca Mg S**

Rice husk 34.7 a 15.9 b 26.8 b 25.7 a 6.2 a 16 ab Coffee husk 32.8 a 14.4 b 28.9 ab 25.0 a 5.5 b 15 b Napier grass 34.8 a 15.1 b 23.3 c 25.5 a 6.0 a 15 b Wood shavings 30.9 a 13.7 b 24.4 c 25.8 a 5.7 b 14 b Corn cob 34.2 a 18.6 a 29.7 a 28.3 a 6.7 a 18 a Average 33.5 15.5 26.6 26.1 6.0 15.0 CV (%) 10.6 12.2 10.0 6.6 8.2 10.1 *Means followed by the same letter in the column do not differ statistically from one another by the Tukey test at 5%.* 

Average 13.1 22.0 11.6 11.3 12.0 5.3 13.6 0.52

**.------------------------ g/kg of DM-----------------------------.**

**N P K Ca M S K/N ratio**

**. ------- g/kg of manure dry matter--------.**

**Feed % de** 

**feed (kg/ cow/day)**

*different roughage and quantities of concentrated feed.*

**Roughage Concentrad** 

**Table 7.**

*Source: Ref. [16].*

**Table 8.**

was conducted in three agricultural years: first, second, and third regrowth. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The treatments consisted of fertilization with three doses of poultry litter 7; 10 and 13 t of poultry litter dry matter/ha/yr), in addition to a control treatment (no chemical or organic fertilization), and chemical fertilization (180 kg N + 225 kg K/ha/yr). Sugarcane was harvested in early August in all 3 years. Fertilization of sugarcane with poultry litter did not interfere with maturation, nor did it affect broth quality, even at high doses. The difference in broth quality from 1 year to another was small. The average of the 3 years for soluble solid content, sucrose in the broth and broth purity were 22, 19, and 86%, respectively. Thus, the use of poultry litter is as an organic fertilizer is an alternative to chemical fertilization. Also, just as cattle manure, it should be supplemented with potassium, because the average K/N ration

*Nutrients in dry matter (g/kg of DM) of poultry litter in which five different materials were used for bedding.*

The technologies recommended to the small farmers for the implantation and management of sugarcane plantations have resulted in high yields in the plant-cane *Sugarcane Production Systems in Small Rural Properties DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84975*


#### **Table 7.**

*Multifunctionality and Impacts of Organic and Conventional Agriculture*

Cv. Colonião, but not efficient for *Digitaria horizontalis*.

**9. Chemical and organic fertilization of regrowth**

*Tebuthiuron*: recommended for preemergence, including application to dry soils. It is not efficient in postemergence application. It persists in soil for a longer period, with residual effect of 12–15 months. It should not be used in areas intended for future renewal of the sugarcane plantation and should use crop rotation with soybean, peanut, and bean. It has a broad spectrum of control, and it is efficient in controlling several dicotyledons and grasses, including *Panicum maximum* jacq.

The fertilization of the regrowth of sugarcane recommended for small farmers is based on the recovery of nitrogen and potassium removed by harvesting the previous cut. In one ton of natural matter of sugarcane biomass (industrializable culms + dry leaves + green leaves + buds), there is 850 kg of industrializable culms on average. Thus, the average index of industrializable culms in biomass is 0.85. For each ton of sugarcane biomass exported from the plantation, 1.2 kg of nitrogen and 1.5 kg of potassium are removed [1, 4]. Assuming that the yield of the plant-cane was 150 t of biomass (about 120 t of industrializable culms), the application of 180 kg of nitrogen and 225 kg of potassium is recommended. There is no need to split fertilization for fear of leaching losses of both nitrogen and potassium [1].

If sugarcane has been harvested for animal feed, the amount of dry leaves on the soil is small. Thus, burying the fertilizer between the crop rows is recommended. Urea can be used as the source of nitrogen in this case. If the fertilizer cannot be buried between the crop rows, ammoniacal or nitric sources should be used to fertilize the regrowth, because volatilization losses are very high when urea is applied over the straw. More detailed information on losses by volatilization and quantification of potassium in the profile of soil grown with sugarcane can be found in Ref. [1].

The application of the fertilizer in regrowth using a walk-behind spreader has been traditional in small properties. It is of low cost and precise, which greatly increases the workers' efficiency. A worker using a spreader covers more than 2.0 ha per day. The use of dairy cattle manure to fertilize sugarcane is a way to reduce production costs, recycle nutrients, and improve soil physical, chemical and biological properties. The efficiency of dairy cattle manure in the mineral nutrition of sugarcane depends on the chemical composition of the waste, the dose and environmental factors, especially temperature and soil moisture. The chemical analysis of cattle manure allows us to calculate the amounts that should be applied to the soil to restore the nutrients removed by harvesting. **Table 7** shows the results of the chemical analysis of manure of dairy cattle fed with different roughage and amounts of concentrated feed. In harvesting 150 tons of forage (culms + side branches + leaves), 150, 45, and 225 kg of N, P, and K, respectively, were removed. The K/N ratio of forage is 1.5, which is much higher than that of cattle manure. Thus, if the sugarcane plantation is fertilized with cattle manure, it is necessary to supplement

fertilization with potassium to replace nutrients removed with the harvest.

Poultry litter is another alternative for the organic fertilization of sugarcane. In recent years, this waste has had its demand and price reduced because of a ban on its use in cattle feed. The concentration of nutrients in poultry litter is influenced by the bedding material. Most poultry farmers of the Zona da Mata region use rice husk, coffee husk, napier grass, shavings, and corn cobs. **Table 8** shows the nutrient contents of five poultry litters composed of different bedding materials collected after being used in a batch of broilers (48 days on average), at a density of 15 birds/m2

The authors evaluated the maturation and broth quality of the sugarcane variety RB867515, which were influenced by the fertilization with poultry litter. The study

.

**34**

*Percentage of dry matter in dairy cattle manure (% DM in manure) and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S) contents in manure of dairy cows fed with different roughage and quantities of concentrated feed.*


*Means followed by the same letter in the column do not differ statistically from one another by the Tukey test at 5%. Source: Ref. [16].*

#### **Table 8.**

*Nutrients in dry matter (g/kg of DM) of poultry litter in which five different materials were used for bedding.*

was conducted in three agricultural years: first, second, and third regrowth. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The treatments consisted of fertilization with three doses of poultry litter 7; 10 and 13 t of poultry litter dry matter/ha/yr), in addition to a control treatment (no chemical or organic fertilization), and chemical fertilization (180 kg N + 225 kg K/ha/yr). Sugarcane was harvested in early August in all 3 years. Fertilization of sugarcane with poultry litter did not interfere with maturation, nor did it affect broth quality, even at high doses. The difference in broth quality from 1 year to another was small. The average of the 3 years for soluble solid content, sucrose in the broth and broth purity were 22, 19, and 86%, respectively. Thus, the use of poultry litter is as an organic fertilizer is an alternative to chemical fertilization. Also, just as cattle manure, it should be supplemented with potassium, because the average K/N ration in poultry litter is 0.80.
