The Effect of Differential Sugarcane Fertilizer Treatments on a Coloso Silty Clay

Abstract

The findings in this study of the influence of different fertilizer levels on a Coloso silty clay for over 9 years of sugarcane cropping were: (1) A morphological description of a Coloso silty clay profile is given together with data on certain physical properties of the soil. (2) There were no significant differences in son organic matter, nitrogen, or available phosphorus attributable to any of the fertilizer levels used. (3) The available soil-potassium values were significantly lower where no potash was applied than where potash treatments were used. (4) There were no differences in soil pH where sulfate of ammonia was used as compared with the no-nitrogen treatment. (5) A discussion is presented of the amounts of plant nutrients removed from the soil by the cane and added to it in the cane trash. This indicates that when sugarcane is grown, large quantities of plant nutrients are in transit in the soil, and this interchange of plant nutrients buffers some anticipated changes in chemical soil properties that might otherwise be associated with constant cropping.