Abstract

JIMMY WALTER, Rasche Alvarez¹ et al. Potassium application in sugarcane varieties: effects on sugarcane yield and borer attack. Investig. Agrar. [online]. 2012, vol.14, n.2, pp.93-100. ISSN 2305-0683.

Sugar cane has many uses, both for food and energy production. To obtain high productivity, all available technologies seeking to improve product quality in harmony with the environment should be applied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of potassium fertilization on the production of two sugarcane variety and on the attack of Diatraea saccharalis, under field conditions. A two factorial experiment containing, two sugarcane varieties (RB-956911and SP81-3250); and four K rates (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg K₂O ha^-1) was carried out at the research field area of Federal University of Santa Maria, RS, Brazil during 2011-12. We assessed a) sugarcane stalk length, b) stem diameter; c) number of internodes, d) number of stalk ha^-1, e) stalk yield, f) °Brix g) Intensity of Infestation (II), and h) Intensity of infestation Index (III). Results indicated that, the stalk yields of RB-956911 and SP81-3250 was 102,3 and 121,8 Mg ha-1, respectively. The °Brix was between 18.61 and 18.03, respectively. The II and III were not affected by variety, with II of 3.71 and 4.08 and the III of 4.27 and 4.82, respectively for sugarcane variety RB-956911 and SP81-3250. Potassium fertilization does not affect the stalk yield and Brix, however, tends to reduce borer attack on sugarcane.

Keywords : Trophobiosis,; Diatraea saccharalis,; potassium rates in sugarcane; sugarcane borer.

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