Soil chemical proprieties and sugar cane yield after surface application of sugar cane straw, limestone and vinasse

Abstract

The objective of the present paper was to evaluate, under field conditions, the results obtained in laboratory, with the application of vinasse and limestone on sugar cane straw, in order to induce chemical changing in the soil, without mobilization of it. As an indicator plant, sugar cane cv. RB 85-5536 was used, in randomized blocks with four replications. Four treatments were applied combining different ways of the application between calcitic limestone (4 t ha-1) x vinasse (300 m³ha-1) x sugar cane straw (8.8 t ha-1). Although there was no significant difference in yield, simply keeping the straw on the soil showed gains of 10 t ha-1 in relation to the area without straw. The worst treatment was vinasse application mixed with limestone, because of a greater leaching calcium and magnesium from the soil complex and the lack of neutralization effect of the limestone.