Rock biofertilizer and earthworm compost on sugarcane performance and soil attributes in two consecutive years

Abstract

The deployment of soluble fertilizers has been one of the most commonly applied agricultural practices in the bid to increase crop yield. However, the production of soluble fertilizers has a considerable economic cost and consumes a substantial amount of energy. In general, soil organic matter provides the nutrients needed for plant growth in organic agriculture. However, these nutrients are not sufficient if the best yield is to be obtained. The aim of our field experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of phosphate and potassic sources (rocks, bio-fertilizers and soluble fertilizers) based on several sugarcane characteristics and soil attributes. Our experiment was conducted over two consecutive years, and we assessed the effect of using sugarcane filter mud cake (SFMC). In addition, we mixed the phosphate and potassic sources with earthworm compost enriched in N by inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria (OM) and applied at 50, 100 and 150 % of the recommended dosage rate (RDR). The PK biofertilizer with OM enriched in N positively affected sugarcane height, yield, and industrial characteristics. The application of SFMC greatly increased available P and K in the soil and plant characteristics with residual effect in the two consecutive harvests. We conclude that the biofertilizer has the potential to increase sugarcane characteristics and may represent an alternative to soluble fertilizers.