NUTRIENT CYCLING BY CROTALARIA JUNCEA AND RATE OF GROWTH AND FORAGE PRODUCTION BY SUGARCANE RB867515

Abstract

In the present study, year and a half of sugarcane were evaluated the
cycling of nutrients by crotalaria juncea, the nutritional status and the production of
forage by the variety RB867515. In early spring, the soil was plowed, graded and subsoled,
and then sown with crotalaria juncea. In February of the year following the sowing,
crotalaria juncea was incorporated into the soil, furrowing the land for planting
RB867515. Green fertilization with crotalaria juncea in the areas where RB867515 was
implanted resulted in improvements in the physical, chemical and biological properties
of the soil. The elements most recycled by crotalaria juncea were nitrogen and potassium,
with average values of 319 and 245 kg per hectare, respectively. The RB867515
had nutrient levels in leaf +3 considered adequate. In the production system adopted,
the RB867515 had high productivity, with the accumulation of fodder exceeding 160 t
of natural material per hectare, around 50 t of dry matter per hectare.

Full text

Organizadora
Nayara Guetten Ribaski
Agricultural sciences and
sustainability in the 21st century
1ST Edition
Curitiba
2024

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Halley Ferraro Oliveira
Federal University of Sergipe, Sergipe, Brazil.
Nelson Barrelo Junior - University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Adriane Aparecida de Souza Mahl Mangaroti - State University of Mato Grosso do
Sul, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
Educélio Gaspar Lisbôa - State University of Pará, Pará, Brazil.
Aldalúcia Macêdo dos Santos Gomes - State University of Amazonas, Amazonas,
Brazil.
Educélio Gaspar Lisbôa - State University of Pará, Pará, Brazil.
Aldalúcia Macêdo dos Santos Gomes - State University of Amazonas, Amazonas,
Brazil.
Paula Wiethölter - Faculdade Especializada na Área de Saúde do Rio Grande do
Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Andréa Cristina Marques de Araújo - Fernando Pessoa University, Porto, Portugal.
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Sérgio Eustáquio Lemos da Silva - Paulista State University, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Ronaldo Salvador Vasques - Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Paraná, Brasil.
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Amazonas, Brasil.

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N866a Ribaski, Nayara Guetten
Agricultural sciences and sustainability in the 21st century /
Nayara Guetten Ribaski. Curitiba. Editora Studies Publicações,
2024.
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1. Inovação. 2. Agricultura. I. Ribaski, Nayara Guetten. II.
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APRESENTAÇÃO
O livro, "Agricultural Sciences and Sustainability in the 21st Century: A Path
Towards a Greener Future" é uma obra que se destaca como um guia para entender
o papel das ciências agrícolas na busca por um futuro mais sustentável. Escrito por
especialistas no campo, o livro oferece uma visão abrangente e atualizada dos
desafios enfrentados pela agricultura moderna e das soluções inovadoras disponíveis
para promover a sustentabilidade.
Mais do que apenas um tratado acadêmico, "Agricultural Sciences and
Sustainability in the 21st Century" inspira os leitores a pensar de forma crítica sobre o
futuro da nossa relação com a terra e os alimentos que produzimos. Ao destacar a
importância da colaboração entre cientistas, agricultores, formuladores de políticas e
a sociedade em geral, o livro possui uma abordagem colaborativa para enfrentar os
desafios da agricultura contemporânea.
Em suma, esta obra é um recurso indispensável para estudantes, acadêmicos,
profissionais da agricultura e todos os interessados em construir um futuro mais verde
e sustentável para as gerações futuras. Com sua análise perspicaz em direção a um
mundo onde a agricultura e a sustentabilidade caminham de mãos dadas.

SUMÁRIO
CAPITULO 01
INTELIGÊNCIA ARTIFICIAL APLICADA NA OTIMIZAÇÃO HIDRICA EM CULTURAS
AGRICOLAS (OTIMAGRI) ................................................................................. 6
Manoel Villas Boas Junior
CAPITULO 02
NUTRIENT CYCLING BY CROTALARIA JUNCEA AND RATE OF GROWTH AND
FORAGE PRODUCTION BY SUGARCANE RB867515 .................................. 28
Mauro Wagner de Oliveira
Rajan Bhatt
Dalmo de Freitas Santos
Vitória Regina Viana dos Santos
Reinaldo de Alencar Paes
Glauber José de Castro Gava
Gino Francisco de Lima Neto
CAPITULO 03
NITROGENOUS FERTILIZER, SUGAR AND FODDER PRODUCTION BY
RB867515, IN THE YEAR AND A HALF SUGARCANE-PLANT CYCLE ......... 47
Mauro Wagner de Oliveira
Rajan Bhatt
Gino Francisco de Lima Neto
Dalmo de Freitas Santos
Reinaldo de Alencar Paes
Tulio Menezes Tenorio
Carlos Henrique de Castro Nogueira
SOBRE A ORGANIZADORA .......................................................................... 67

28
Mauro Wagner de Oliveira
Doctor of Science - Nuclear Energy in Agriculture
Institution: Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus of Engineering and
Agrarian Sciences
Address: BR-104, Rio Largo - AL, ZIP: 57100-000
E-mail: maurowoliveira@gmail.com
Rajan Bhatt
PhD in Soil Sciences
Institution: Punjab Agricultural University (PAU)
Address: Amritsar-143601, Punjab, India
E-mail: rajansoils@pau.edu
Dalmo de Freitas Santos
PhD student in Agronomy, Plant Production
Institution: Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL)
Address: BR-104, Rio Largo - AL, ZIP: 57100-000
E-mail: dalmo.santos@ceca.ufal.br
Vitória Regina Viana dos Santos
Graduated in Zootechny
Institution: Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus of Engineering and
Agrarian Sciences
Address: BR-104, Rio Largo - AL, ZIP: 57100-000
E-mail: vihfirmino@gmail.com
Reinaldo de Alencar Paes
Doctor in Phytotechnics
Institution: Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus of Engineering and
Agrarian Sciences
Address: BR-104, Rio Largo - AL, ZIP: 57100-000
Email: reinaldoapaes@yahoo.com.br
Glauber José de Castro Gava
Doctor of Science - Nuclear Energy in Agriculture
Institution: Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Regional Action Center,
Jaú Research and Development Unit
Address: Rodovia SP-304, Jaú-Bariri, Km 304, Jaú – SP
E-mail: glauber.castro@sp.gov.br
Gino Francisco de Lima Neto
Graduating in Agronomy
CAPÍTULO
NUTRIENT CYCLING BY CROTALARIA JUNCEA AND
RATE OF GROWTH AND FORAGE PRODUCTION BY
SUGARCANE RB867515

29
Institution: Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Campus of Engineering and
Agrarian Sciences
Address: BR-104, Rio Largo - AL, ZIP: 57100-000
E-mail: gino.neto@ceca.ufal.br
ABSTRACT: In the present study, year and a half of sugarcane were evaluated the
cycling of nutrients by crotalaria juncea, the nutritional status and the production of
forage by the variety RB867515. In early spring, the soil was plowed, graded and sub-
soled, and then sown with crotalaria juncea. In February of the year following the sow-
ing, crotalaria juncea was incorporated into the soil, furrowing the land for planting
RB867515. Green fertilization with crotalaria juncea in the areas where RB867515 was
implanted resulted in improvements in the physical, chemical and biological properties
of the soil. The elements most recycled by crotalaria juncea were nitrogen and potas-
sium, with average values of 319 and 245 kg per hectare, respectively. The RB867515
had nutrient levels in leaf +3 considered adequate. In the production system adopted,
the RB867515 had high productivity, with the accumulation of fodder exceeding 160 t
of natural material per hectare, around 50 t of dry matter per hectare.
KEYWORDS: Production Systems; Forage; Family Farming; Sustainability.
RESUMO: No presente estudo foram avaliadas, na cana-de-açúcar de ano e meio, a
ciclagem de nutrientes pela crotalária juncea, o estado nutricional e a produção de forra-
gem pela variedade RB867515. No início da primavera, o solo foi arado, gradeado e sub-
solado, semeando-se a seguir a crotalária juncea. Em fevereiro do ano subsequente a
semeadura, a crotalária juncea foi incorporada ao solo, sulcando-se o terreno para o plan-
tio da RB867515. A adubação verde com crotalária juncea nas áreas de implantação da
RB867515 resultou em melhorias das propriedades física, químicas e biológicas do solo.
Os elementos mais reciclados pela crotalária juncea foram o nitrogênio e o potássio, com
valores médios de 319 e 245 kg por hectare, respectivamente. A RB867515 estava com
teores de nutrientes na folha +3 considerados adequados. No sistema de produção ado-
tado, a RB867515 teve alta produtividade, com acúmulo de forragem ultrapassando 160
t de matéria natural por hectare, cerca de 50 t de matéria seca por hectare.
PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Sistemas De Produção; Forragem; Agricultura Familiar; Susten-
tabilidade.

30
1. INTRODUCTION
Sugarcane has been a forage plant widely used in the small farms of south-
central Brazil for feeding dairy cows, mainly during the drier months of the year. In
several cities in the center-south of Brazil, dairy farming is a major socio-economic
activity, employing large numbers of people from different social classes, in addition to
generating employment for the domestic workforce, and monthly revenue from the sale
of milk and by-products. In order for the dairy activity on these farms to be economically
viable, small producers have adopted techniques to increase the productivity of the
land, labor, capital invested, dairy cows, and also implemented actions that contribute
to the sustainability of the system and the environment, including the use of bovine
waste and other forms of organic fertilization (OLIVEIRA et al., 2007; VALADARES
FILHO et al., 2008; OLIVEIRA et al., 2019; OLIVEIRA et al., 2021b;).
The most common way of using sugarcane in the feeding of dairy cows, in small
farms, is daily cutting, with subsequent mincing and supplying to the animals. The
movement to the sugar cane plantation, the daily cutting and transportation of the
sugarcane to the place of mincing, usually done with an animal traction cart or
cangalhas, as well as the distribution in the feeding troughs of the animals, demand a
large amount of hours of human resources and these constitute, in isolation, the item
of higher percentage of cost and physical wear of the farmers who use the sugarcane
as forage (BORGES et al., 2016; OLIVEIRA et al., 2018a; OLIVEIRA et al., 2021b).
Thus, it is necessary to adopt some practices in the installation and conduction of the
sugarcane in order to have high productivity in the sugarcane-plant cycle and small
decreases in the subsequent cuts. Among these practices are liming, gessage, green
fertilization with crotalaria juncea, fertilization with bovine manure, adequate supply of
nutrients, and the use of sugar cane variety with higher productive potential (RAIJ,
2011; OLIVEIRA et al., 2019).
In the studies evaluating the productive potential of sugarcane varieties,
samples of dry matter accumulations have been carried out throughout the crop cycle,
aiming to know in more detail the periods of greatest accumulation of dry matter, as
well as the phase from which there is no further increase in the aerial biomass of
sugarcane (OLIVEIRA et al., 2021a). Thus, the objective of the present study was to
evaluate, in the year and a half of sugarcane, the cycling of nutrients by crotalaria
juncea that preceded the planting of sugarcane, the nutritional status, the rates of

31
accumulation of dry matter and the production of forage by the variety RB867515, in
an intensive system of production.
2. METHODOLOGY
The study was conducted on a family farm property located in the municipality
of Mercês (Latitude 21º11'39"S and Longitude 43º20'29"W), Zona da Mata de Minas
Gerais, Brazil (Figure 1). The climate of the study area is in accordance with the
classification of Koppen, a tropical climate with rainfall during the summer and an
average annual temperature of 18 °C, with variations between 24 °C (average of the
maximum) and 13,8 °C (average of the minimum). The average annual rainfall is about
1,200 mm, with a water surplus from October to April. The relief varies from flat to
gently wavy (OLIVEIRA et al., 2022). The soil used was classified as dystrophic Red
Latosol, medium texture.
Figure 1 - Geographical location of the municipality of Mercês - MG, location of the study
Source: Author, 2023.
Sugarcane is a forage with high productive potential, very responsive to the
improvement of the physical and chemical properties of the soil (OLIVEIRA et al., 2007;
DUARTE JÚNIOR & COELHO, 2008; BORGES et al., 2016; OLIVEIRA et al., 2021b).
For this reason, soils from the growing areas were analyzed in August next spring,
choosing an area of higher fertility and without exchangeable aluminum in the 0 to 20
cm layer. The results of the chemical analysis of the chosen area are presented in
table 1.

32
Table 1 - Chemical analysis of the soil in the layers from 0 to 20, and from 20 to 40 cm, in the area
chosen for the study with sugarcane
pH in water: ratio 1:2,5. Ca2+, Mg2+ and Al3+: KCl extractor 1 mol L-1.
P and K: Mehlich extractor 1. H++ Al3+: Calcium acetate extractor 0,5 mol L-1, at pH 7,0.
Source: Author, 2023.
The crop that preceded the planting of the sugarcane a year and a half was
crotalaria juncea, with the objetive of increasing the organic matter content of the soil,
cycling nutrients and improving the physico-chemical and biological properties of the
soil. Crotalaria juncea is a plant with high productive potential, but demanding in soil
fertility and very sensitive to aluminum toxicity (ERNANI et al., 2001; MEDA et al.,
2003; OLIVEIRA et al., 2021c). In this way, the choice of a more fertile soil, without
exchangeable aluminum in the layer of 0 to 20 cm, and with low saturation by aluminum
in the layer of 20 to 40 cm, benefits both crotalaria juncea, and sugarcane.
Shortly after the first spring rains, the soil was plowed, graded and subsoled,
and then sown the crotalaria juncea, spaced between grooves of 0.5 m. The sowing
density will be 25 kg of seeds per hectare, which has resulted in a population density
of about 500,000 plants per hectare. The seeds were not inoculated with rhizobium,
since previous studies (CHADA & DE-POLLI, 1988; RIBEIRO JÚNIOR & RAMOS,
2006; OLIVEIRA et al., 2011b) found no inoculation effect on the accumulation of dry
matter and nutrients. During the growth of crotalaria juncea, only the chemical control
of leaf-cutting ants was carried out.
At the beginning of February of the year following the sowing of crotalaria, when
the plants are in the stage of farinaceous grains, the accumulation of dry matter in the
aerial part of this green fertilizer was evaluated. Eight systematic samples were carried
out from a reference, the area of each sampling being 1,0 m2 (2 m long by 0,5 m
spacing). Crotalaria juncea was cut close to the ground and weighed. Sub-samples of
the plants were passed in forage harvesters and dried in a forced ventilation oven at
65 °C to constant weight and again weighed. Subsubsamples of the dried plant
material were ground and submitted to sulfuric and nitroperchloric digestions, following
the method described by Malavolta et al. (1997) and Silva e Queiroz (2006). From the
concentration values of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and
sulfur, and the accumulation of dry matter, the accumulation of nutrients in the dry
matter of the upper part of crotalaria juncea was calculated.
pH in P K Ca Mg Al H + Al SB CTC (t) CTC (T) V m
H2O
0 to 20 cm 5.0 9 38 1.1 0.3 0,90 5.03 1.5 2.4 6.53 22.94 37.54
20 to 40 cm 4.6 2 18 0.27 0.15 1.45 4,92 0.47 1.92 5.39 8.65 75.68
Layer
.-- mg/dm3--- .
.--------------------------- cmolc/dm3---------------------------.
.------%-----.

33
After the sampling, crotalaria juncea was incorporated into the soil, and the
terrain for the planting of sugarcane was later furrowed, in the spacing of 1.4 meters.
At the bottom of the groove, only phosphate fertilizer was applied at a dose equivalent
to 100 kg of P per hectare (229 kg of equivalent to P2O5), using the triple
superphosphate with P source, as recommended by Oliveira et al. (2018a).
Subsequently, the five-month old RB867515 seedlings were distributed. The stems
(seedlings) were chopped inside the groove of planting in the size of two to three buds,
and on them the insecticide Fipronil was applied. Weed control was with the herbicide
Tebutiron (OLIVEIRA et al., 2019). In October, when the rainy season started again,
potassium fertilizer was applied between the rows of the sugarcane at a dose of 200
kg of K per hectare, using potassium chloride.
The rates of accumulation of material in the aerial part of the RB867515 were
carried out in five seasons: October and December of the year of planting, and
February, April and July of the following year. In each season, five systematic samples
were taken from a reference and the area of each sample was 2.8 m2 (2 m long by 1.4
m spacing). The RB867515 was cut close to the ground and heavy. Sub-samples of
the plants were passed in forage harvesters and dried in a forced ventilation oven at
65 °C to constant weight and again weighed.
In December, when sugarcane was in its maximum growth phase, the nutritional
status of RB867515 was evaluated, following procedures described by Oliveira et al.
(2007), Raij (2011) and Oliveira et al. (2018a). Five systematic samples of the leaves
were carried out for chemical analyzes. In July, about a year and a half after planting,
when the sugarcane was ripe, the production of forage was evaluated, the chemical
and bromatological composition of the forage, the production of industrialized stems,
following a method mentioned by Oliveira et al. (2019). Again, five samples of 2.8 m2
each were carried out.
The chemical analyzes were carried out following the methods described by
Malavolta et al. (1997); Silva & Queiroz (2006). For the cycling of nutrients by crotalária
juncea descriptive statistics (average, minimum and maximum) were used, while for
the accumulation of dry matter was obtained equation relating the age of the plant with
the accumulation of dry matter (FERREIRA, 2011).

34
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Initially, the results referring to the accumulation of dry matter and nutrients in
crotalaria juncea will be presented, then the results referring to the nutritional status of
the sugarcane, followed by the rates of accumulation of dry matter, and the production
of forage by RB867515.
3.1 Accumulation of dry matter and nutrients in the aerial part of crotalaria juncea
Crotalaria juncea had a high accumulation of dry matter in the upper part of the
plants, with average, minimum and maximum values, respectively of 18.55; 17.10 and
19.70 t per hectare. In the soil and climatic conditions of this system of production,
crotalaria juncea had very uniform growth, which resulted in a small coefficient of
variation for the accumulation of dry matter: only 6.20%, evidencing small variability in
the area of study.
Under conditions of good supply of water and nutrients in the soil, and in the
absence of physical (dense or compacted layer) or chemical impediments (high levels
of exchangeable aluminum or low levels of calcium and magnesium) and when sown
in early spring, therefore, under long decreasing nights, crotalária juncea is a plant that
stands out among the legumes used for green fertilization. In a study also conducted
in Mercês -MG, Oliveira et al. (2022) evaluated the accumulation of dry matter and
nutrients by five plants covering the soil: brachiária brizantha, brachiária ruziziensis,
crotalária juncea, beans of pork and black mucuna. The soil in the study area had an
average fertility in the layer of 0 to 20 cm, without exchangeable aluminum. In the 20-
40 cm layer, base saturation was 47% and aluminum saturation (m%) was 6.01.
Oliveira et al. (2022) report that crotalaria juncea was surpassed only by brachiaria
brizantha. On average, the accumulation of dry matter in the upper part of the plants
was 19.98 and 18.06 t per hectare, respectively, for brachiaria brizantha and crotalaria
juncea.
In the present study, the accumulation of dry matter by crotalaria juncea was
great, but there are reports in the literature of even greater productivity. In research
conducted by Pereira et al. (2017), in Salto do Jacuí - RS, in a soil of medium texture
and with good fertility, average accumulations of dry matter were observed in the aerial
part of crotalária juncea, of 22.71 t per hectare. In evaluations carried out in the

35
northeastern region of Minas Gerais - Southern Bahia, in a year with a volume of rain
close to 1,200 mm, and with a good distribution in spring-summer, high accumulations
of dry matter were also reported by crotalária juncea, sown at the beginning of spring.
The average of seven plots, each plot of approximately three hectares, was 17.80 t of
dry matter per hectare, however in two plots the accumulation of dry matter exceeded
20.0 t per hectare (OLIVEIRA, 2021a).
The high production of biomass by crotalaria juncea is dependent on several
factors, and there is a great interaction between them, but generally speaking, the ones
that influence most are: climatic conditions such as nictoperiod (night length), water
availability, solar radiation, daytime and night temperatures; sowing season (spring or
summer), cultural practices and soil fertility (LEAL, 2006; LIMA et al., 2010; PADOVAN
et al., 2014; OLIVEIRA et al., 2021a).
The deficiency of phosphorus and basic cations, associated with high levels of
aluminum, has been detrimental to the growth of the root system and, consequently,
of the whole plant (ERNANI et al., 2001; MEDA, 2003; OLIVEIRA et al., 2007). At
micromolar concentrations, aluminum monomers and complexes present in the soil
solution (Al+3, Al(OH)2+ and Al(OH)2+) can cause disturbances in plant physiology
(OLIVEIRA et al., 2021c). Several studies have shown the harmful effects of aluminum
on the availability of nutrients in the soil, on cellular expansion (root and aerial part),
on nutrient absorption kinetics, on the peroxidation of lipids from the plasma membrane
and endomembranes, on nutrient translocation, respiration and photosynthesis
(ERNANI et al., 2001; MEDA, 2003; OLIVEIRA et al., 2021a).
Aluminum binds itself strongly and rapidly to the negative sites of the cell wall,
interfering with the wall's capacity for ion exchange. Exposure to the ion induces
calosis formation, interferes with polysaccharide deposition in the cell wall, and
increases its rigidity by interaction with pectins. Al3+ also strongly interacts with the
plasma membrane, altering its related functions and electrical potentials. There is
interference of Al3+ in the absorption of water and essential elements to the cell, such
as nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur. Analyzing the
studies of several researchers, Oliveira et al. (2021c) state that crotalaria juncea is a
plant with high productive potential, but very sensitive to aluminum and to low levels of
phosphorus and basic cations in the solution, and that soil acidity should be corrected
before cultivation, and where possible, cultivated in soil with higher nutrient availability.

36
Graph 1 shows the accumulations of nutrients in the biomass of the upper part
of crotalaria juncea. The largest nutrient cycles were nitrogen and potassium, the
elements absorbed in greater quantities by sugarcane (MELO et al., 2006; OLIVEIRA
et al., 2007; DUARTE JÚNIOR & COELHO, 2008). On average, the accumulations of
N and K were 319 and 245 kg per hectare, respectively. The range of variation was
274 to 348 kg ha-1 for N, while for potassium the minimum and maximum were 221 to
271 kg per hectare. For potassium it should be considered that there is only one cycling
in the soil-plant system, but as the release of potassium from green fertilizers and other
cultural remains is very fast (MALAVOLTA et al, 1997; PITTELKOW et al., 2012;
OLIVEIRA et al., 2018a), the cultivation of crotalaria juncea increases the availability
of this nutrient in the most superficial layers of the soil.
Graph 1 - Accumulation of nutrients in the aerial biomass of crotalaria juncea
Source: Author, 2023.
The greater the production of dry matter by crotalária juncea, the greater will be
the improvement of the physical and chemical properties of the soil, including the
capacity for water retention and nutrient availability, which will result in greater
productivity of the sugarcane plant, compared, for example, to a fallow area
(MASCARENHAS et al., 1994; OLIVEIRA et al., 2007; REDIN et al., 2016; OLIVEIRA
et al., 2021b).
On the other hand, for nitrogen, the biological fixation of N2 from the air is
responsible for much of the accumulation of this nutrient in crotalaria. Oliveira et al.
20 38 22
52
221
274
24 42 25
60
245
319
27 47 28
66
271
348
0
40
80
120
160
200
240
280
320
360
PMg SCa K N
Nutrient accumulation in aboveground
biomass (kg ha-1)
Minimum Average Maximum

37
(2021a) cite that for sowing from early October to early November, the accumulations
of nitrogen in the biomass of the aerial part of crotalaria juncea oscillated around 300
kg per hectare, confirming the observations of Perin et al. (2004) and Duarte Júnior e
Coelho (2008). Of the total nitrogen accumulated in the biomass of the aerial part of
crotalaria, about 60% to 70% originated from the symbiotic associations of the roots of
the legume with the N2-fixing bacteria of the air, resulting in significant amounts of this
nutrient being fed into the soil-plant system (PERIN et al., 2004; RIBEIRO JÚNIOR &
RAMOS, 2006), thus contributing to greater sustainability of the subsequent culture
(MASCARENHAS et al, 19994; LIMA et al., 2010; BARBOSA et al., 2020). For
comparative purposes, ammonium sulfate, one of the most widely used nitrogenous
fertilizers, is mentioned: in 100 kg of this fertilizer, 20 kg of N is obtained, so that to
obtain 220 kg of N (recital 70% originating from N2), 1,100 kg of ammonium sulfate, or
490 kg of urea, would be needed.
The average accumulation of phosphorus in the aerial biomass of crotalaria
juncea ranged from 20 to 27.0 kg ha-1, averaging 24 kg per hectare. Oliveira et al.
(2021a) cites studies in which it was found that the use of legumes as green fertilizers
and ground cover plants resulted in more efficient use of phosphate fertilizers and
native soil phosphorus due to exudation of organic compounds, mainly the organic
anions citrate, malate, succinate and fumarate, which can bind to aluminum, releasing
phosphorus, or decrease the binding of phosphate anion to soil aluminum. Cycling of
calcium, magnesium and sulfur were also high, with values of 52; 38 and 22 kg per
hectare, close to those obtained by Duarte Júnior and Coelho (2008); Oliveira et al.
(2011a); Lima et al. (2012) and Barbosa et al. (2020).
3.2 Nutritional status of sugarcane
Graphs 2 and 3 show the average macro and micronutrient concentration values
in the +3 leaf of sugarcane, compared to those used as a reference in the assessment
of nutritional status (MALAVOLTA et al., 1997; RAIJ, 2011; OLIVEIRA et al., 2018a).
For all the nutrients analyzed, the foliar concentrations are within the range considered
adequate by Malavolta et al. (1997) Oliveira et al. (2007) and Raij (2011) For both
macronutrients and micro, the coefficients of variation were below 10%, again showing
little variability in the area where the study was conducted.

38
The choice of an area of better soil fertility, without exchangeable aluminum in
the layer from 0 to 20 cm, and with good levels of basic cations, associated with the
high cycling of nutrients by crotalaria juncea, and later to phosphate and potassium
fertilization, may have contributed to this result. Thus, it can be inferred that there was
a good supply of mineral elements for sugarcane. The development of the root system
and the absorption of nutrients are influenced by many factors, but endogenous
phosphorus availability significantly alters the absorption kinetics (RUFTY et al., 1990;
OLIVEIRA et al., 2007; OLIVEIRA et al., 2018a). In the absence of exchangeable
aluminum and with adequate supply of P, increased absorption of nutrients from the
soil solution occurs; there is greater translocation of nutrients from the roots to the
aerial part, increasing the synthesis of amino acids, proteins and enzymes from the
leaves of the sugar cane (RUFTY et al., 1990; OLIVEIRA et al., 2007).
In research conducted by Oliveira et al. (2021b), in the state of Minas Gerais, it
was found that the increase in the dose of phosphate fertilization, applied in the groove
of planting, had an effect on larger accumulations of N in the biomass of the aerial part
of the sugarcane plant, and it was observed that, for each kilogram of P applied, there
was an increase of about one kilogram of N in this biomass. These results are due to
the effects of the alterations caused in the growth of the root system, in the absorption
and metabolism of N, as mentioned by Rufty et al. (1990) Malavolta et al. (1997) and
Oliveira et al. (2018a).

39
Graph 2 and 3 - Nutrient concentration in the middle third of leaf +3, of the sugar cane variety
RB867515, in the area previously cultivated with crotalaria juncea, compared to the values cited in the
national literature as minimum and maximum
Source: Author, 2023.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
PMg SCa K N
Nutrient content in the leaf +3 (g kg-1)
Minimum Content RB867515
Maximum content
0,0
50,0
100,0
150,0
200,0
250,0
BCu Fe Mn Zn
Nutrient content in the leaf +3 (mg kg-1)
Minimum content
RB867515
Maximum content

40
3.3 Dry matter accumulation, crop growth rate and fodder production by RB867515
Graph 4 shows the values of the accumulation of fodder, based on dry matter,
in the period between sampling. The highest average dry matter accumulation value
by RB867515 was observed in the sampling carried out at the end of April of the year
following planting: 49.19 t per hectare. In the sampling carried out at the end of July,
there was a small decrease in the accumulation of dry matter, around 2.0 t less than
in April.
This small decrease in dry matter accumulation was caused mainly by
detachment of dried leaves from the culm of RB867515. In April, the rainy season is
ending, and there is a reduction in solar radiation, in the temperature and in the length
of the day. This reduction in water, heat and light results in low photosynthetic levels,
sometimes insufficient to maintain the basal metabolism of sugarcane, with the
consumption of soluble carbohydrates, stored in the previous phases of development.
On the other hand, this reduction in water, heat and light raises the concentration of
sucrose in the culm of the sugarcane, but different from what is claimed by some
authors, there is a reduction in the total mass of sugars of the sugarcane. For the sugar
and alcohol industry, industrializing a sugarcane with a higher sucrose content is very
advantageous, but for the cattle feed, the maturing of the sugarcane from May
onwards, when there is no more measurable increase in dry matter in the aerial
biomass, does not result in any gains in bromatological quality, because for the
ruminants, there is no influence of a reduction in the levels of glucose and fructose
(reducing sugars) and an increase in the concentration of sucrose. In addition, the
large amount of microbial invertase in the rumen rapidly degrades sucrose to glucose
and fructose (Oliveira et al., 2021b).

41
Graph 4 - Fodder accumulation, based on dry matter, in the period from 210 to 480 days after planting
RB867515
Source: Author, 2023.
In the harvest in July of the year following planting, about 85% of the biomass
of the aerial part of RB867515 was made of industrialized stems, so there was average
production of industrialized stems of 134 t per hectare. The green fertilization with
crotalaria juncea and the chemical phosphate and potassic fertilization, which
adequately supplied the crop, as shown in the evaluation of the nutritional status of the
plants, associated with the high productive potential of RB867515, resulted in this high
productivity of forage, about 160 t of natural material per hectare. High productivity of
forage by sugarcane, planted in areas previously cultivated with crotalaria juncea, are
reported by Mascarenhas et al. (1994), Duarte Júnior and Coelho (2008), Oliveira et
al. (2019), and Oliveira et al. (2021a), all with fodder productivity above 150 t per
hectare.
In the present study the equation relating to sampling times, in days after
planting, with dry matter accumulation was: y = -0.0008x2+ 0.7194x - 113.66; with R2
of 0.9555. Santana et al. (2023) in research conducted in Vicentina, Mato Grosso do
Sul, they also observed high productivity of the sugarcane variety SP832847, with
average accumulation close to 50 t of dry matter per hectare. In the assessments of
dry matter accumulation, depending on the sampling season, Santana et al. (2023)
also report that growth and accumulation of dry matter by SP832847, can be well
described by a quadratic equation, similar to the present study.
Graph 5 shows the values of the feed accumulation rate, based on dry matter,
in the period between 210 and 480 days after planting RB867515. In the period prior
y = -0,0008x2+ 0,7194x - 113,66
R² = 0,9555
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
210 240 270 300 330 360 390 420 450 480
t of dry matter per hectare
Sampling times - days after planting.

42
to 210 days, the accumulation rate was small, because the sugarcane was still at the
stage of germination, rooting and formation of the first leaves. Associated with these
factors, as from April, there has been a reduction in water, heat and light, which results
in low photosynthetic rates, sometimes insufficient for maintaining the basal
metabolism of sugarcane, as mentioned above. At the beginning of spring, right after
the first rains, the development of sugarcane began, having been obtained in the period
from October to December, an average rate of 176.17 kg of dry matter per hectare.
Graph 5 - Dry matter accumulation rate period from 210 to 480 days after planting RB867515
Source: Author, 2023.
The highest average daily rate of dry matter accumulation by RB867515 was
observed in the period from December to February: 385.67 kg per hectare. At this
phenological stage, sugarcane had a maximum foliar area and there was no thermal,
hydric or luminous restriction to plant development. In the following samples, there was
a decrease in the rate of accumulation of dry matter by RB867515, influenced mainly
by the thermal, water and light restriction. Oliveira et al. (2021b), in research with three
varieties of sugarcane, also observed a reduction in the rates of growth of the crop
from May onwards, attributing this decrease to the thermal, water or luminous
restrictions that occur in the region, starting in the autumn.
26,05
176,17
385,67
165,83
-20,56
-21
39
99
159
219
279
339
399
200 240 280 320 360 400 440 480
Dry matter accumulation rate (kg ha-1
day-1)
Sampling times - days after planting.

43
4. CONCLUSION
The green fertilization with crotalaria juncea in the area where the RB867515
was implanted resulted in a large accumulation of material, which after being
incorporated into the soil, improved the physical, chemical and biological properties of
the land. The elements most recycled by crotalaria juncea were nitrogen and
potassium, with average values of 319 and 245 kg per hectare.
The RB867515 had nutrient levels in leaf +3 considered adequate. Green
fertilization, phosphate fertilization, and potassium fertilization, associated with the
absence of exchangeable aluminum and good availability of basic soil cations, must
have been the main causes for the proper nutrition of sugar cane.
The productivity of RB867515 in the production system adopted was high, with
the accumulation of fodder exceeding 160 t of natural material per hectare, about 50 t
of dry matter per hectare. The implementation of the production system adopted in this
study will result in more efficient use of land, capital and labor.

44
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