Crop Nutrition and Yield Response of Bagasse Application on Sugarcane Grown on a Mineral Soil

The addition of agricultural by-products to mineral soils has the potential to improve crop production. This study aimed to determine the effects of the readily available sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) milling by-product bagasse as a soil amendment on yields of sugarcane grown on a sandy Entisol of South Florida. The field trial was conducted on a commercial sugarcane farm for three annual crop cycles (plant cane and two ratoons). Four treatments including 5 cm bagasse (85 ton ha(-1)); 10 cm bagasse (170 ton ha(-1)); 10 cm bagasse (170 ton ha(-1)) plus 336 kg ha(-1) ammonium nitrate; and a control (without bagasse and ammonium nitrate) were evaluated. Results indicate that one single application of bagasse increased sugarcane biomass and sugar yield by approximately 23% in the plant cane year. A higher application rate of bagasse (10 cm of bagasse) was recommended since it had a longer effect on increasing sugarcane biomass and sugar yield. Bagasse application enhanced silicon (Si) supply and increased Si plant nutrition. However, the effects of bagasse on the other leaf nutrients were not significant.