Importance of nutritional balance in the physiology of sugarcane maturation

The importance of nutritional balance in the physiology of sugarcane plant maturation.

The development cycle of sugarcane plants is basically divided into four phenological stages: sprouting and emergence, tillering, period of great vegetative growth and maturation. At each stage, morphological changes occur, depending on specific physiological stimuli, such as different hormonal balances, which are related to genetics and external factors, such as temperature, light, water and nutrients.

Furthermore, it is known that each variety has specific nutritional and climatic requirements in its genetic characteristics to achieve their respective productive and qualitative potentials.

To achieve these greater potentials, it is necessary to meet each factor of these requirements, which range from choosing a suitable location for planting, physically preparing the soil and choosing quality setts or pre-sprouted seedlings (MPBs). The producer must also pay attention to choosing the appropriate cultivar for the region and planting date, in addition to providing soil previously cultivated with crop rotation plants and/or that has an adequate balance of microbiota. And there are two other fundamental factors, such as the use of balanced nutritional management and good phytosanitary control during the development of the different phases of crop development.

However, even though cultural management seeks to meet the demands of the need for genetic material, every year, in the different sugarcane producing regions in Brazil, there are stressful situations, such as excess or lack of rain, variation in temperature and light, which can cause nutritional imbalance, thus affecting the growth and maturation of the stalks of sugarcane plants.

In the maturation phase, when there is an intense accumulation of sucrose in the stalks, it is essential that the plants are nutritionally balanced for the continuous development of physiological processes, as well as the maintenance of photosynthetic activity. All nutritional elements are important for the development of the different phases of cultivation, however, for the maturation phase, some elements are directly related to the accumulation of sucrose in the stalks. We can highlight phosphorus (P), which participates in the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) for enzymatic activities and other metabolic processes, potassium (K) in the transport of carbohydrates and stomatal activity/photosynthetic rate; magnesium (Mg) in the synthesis of chlorophyll, also influencing photosynthetic activity; nitrogen (N) and molybdenum (Mo) in enzyme metabolism, with emphasis on CO2 fixation in the photosynthesis process; boron (B), which in addition to participating in the formation of the cell wall and the production of absorbent roots during the maturation phase, participates in the transport of sugars and the formation and balance of phytohormones. The other micronutrients, such as copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn), participate in the metabolism of photosynthetic activity and are also related to the activity of antioxidant compounds, which act by reducing reactive oxygen species.

Therefore, it is essential to provide a better nutritional and physiological balance for plants, so that they can achieve better performance, thus minimizing the effect of environmental stress. In agriculture, there are currently solutions based on amino acids and plant extracts that, combined with nutritional elements, provide an increase in the efficiency of foliar absorption of nutrients, helping to maintain physiological levels, reducing stressful conditions and, thus, favoring better development. of cultivation.

Alltech Crop Science has an important solution, Honey, which is made up of amino acids and plant extracts, combined with the nutritional elements potassium (K), boron (B) and molybdenum (Mo). When applied at the beginning of the maturation phase of sugarcane stalks or even 90 days before harvest, Alltech's technology helps to further intensify the transport of photoassimilates to the stalks, maintaining the balance of the plants for photosynthetic activity, ultimately resulting in a greater increase in Total Recoverable Sugar (ATR) and stem weight.

Marcos Revoredo, Alltech Crop Science