Effect of cobalt and starter fertilizer applied at planting on cane and sugar yields in Louisiana

Authors: Johnson, Richard; DA SILVA, DEISE - Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS, USDA)

Submitted to: American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/30/2019
Publication Date: 6/1/2019
Citation: Johnson, R.M., Da Silva, D.P. 2019. Effect of cobalt and starter fertilizer applied at planting on cane and sugar yields in Louisiana [abstract]. Journal American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists. 39:40.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Louisiana has one of the shortest sugarcane growing seasons in the world and is also subjected to periodic winter freezes. Due to these limitations, it is critical that sugarcane is well established at planting in the fall to allow it to over-winter and emerge robustly in the spring. Two experiments were conducted with HoCP 04-838 to evaluate the effects of cobalt, starter fertilizer (10-45-45), and a combination of cobalt and starter fertilizer on cane and sugar yields. Starter fertilizer was broadcast in the opened planting furrow and cobalt treatments were sprayed on the planted seed-cane. All plots were harvested with a chopper harvester and field transport wagon equipped with load cells to determine cane yields, and a sample of billets was collected to determine TRS. In plant-cane, a 16-21% significant increase in cane yields was obtained with both cobalt alone and starter fertilizer treatments as compared to the untreated control. A 23% increase in cane yields was observed when cobalt and starter fertilizer were combined, although this increase was not significantly different from when the materials were applied alone. Sugar yields were significantly increased with cobalt alone and in combination with starter fertilizer (P=0.05). Cane and sugar yields from the first-ratoon crop showed significant increases with cobalt alone and in combination with starter fertilizer. When results for the plant-cane, first-, second-, and third-ratoon crops were combined, cobalt applied alone or in combination with starter fertilizer treatments showed a 10% significant increase in cane and sugar yields over the untreated control (P=0.05). When the experiment was repeated, cobalt combined with starter fertilizer significantly increased cane yields by 11% and sugar yields by 13%, compared to the untreated control when the plant-cane and first-ratoon crops were combined (P=0.05). This research suggests that increases in both cane and sugar yields, can be obtained through application of both cobalt and starter fertilizers.