Desempenho vegetativo e produtividade da cana-de-açúcar em função da aplicação de diferentes doses de nitrogênio no brejo paraibano

Abstract

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) plays a significant economic role in Brazil, reaching a record production of 713 million tons in the 2023/24 harvest, according to CONAB (2024). Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for this crop, influencing processes such as photosynthesis and protein synthesis, with urea being one of the most widely used sources due to its cost-effectiveness. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of urea application rates on sugarcane cultivars RB867515 and RB041443 in the Brejo Paraibano region. The experiment was conducted at Fazenda Chã de Jardim, PB, using nitrogen rates of 50, 100, 150, and 200 Kg/ha 1 , as well as a control. A Randomized Block Design (RBD) was employed to analyze leaf height, stem diameter, number of internodes, productivity (TCH), Brix, number of leaves, and plants per linear meter. Results indicated that while cultivars and the RBD influenced various plant characteristics, nitrogen rates had no significant effect on most variables. Only TCH productivity was impacted, with the 200 Kg/ha-1 rate showing the greatest increase. The study concludes that cultivar selection and specific soil and management conditions may have a greater impact on sugarcane productivity than nitrogen application rates.