RESPONSE OF SUGARCANE TO DOSES OF PHOSPHORUS PROVIDED BY ORGANOMINERAL FERTILIZER

In tropical soils, phosphorus is the most limiting nutrient of agricultural production, added in large quantities to satisfy crop requirements. A pot experiment (200 L) was carried out, cultivating sugarcane seedlings in a Dystrustox, to evaluate the response of sugarcane to doses of phosphorus provided by organomineral fertilizer. The design of the experiment was of randomized blocks in four replications with six treatments. Treatments consisted in four doses of P2O5 ((40,80,120 e 160 kg ha(-1)) provided by organomineral fertilizer, an additional treatment, with no fertilizer, and 160 kg ha(-1) of P2O5 provided by mineral fertilizer. The fertilizers were incorporated in 100 kg soil of the upper layer in each container and, subsequently, three sugar-cane seedlings variety IAC 95-5000 were transplanted. The plants were harvested 231 days after seedling transplanting to the pots, evaluating the following characteristics: stalk production, sugar yield and technological parameters. The results indicate that the stalk yield and sugar yield of plant cane increased with doses of P2O5 provided by the fertilizers. The two sources of phosphorus were similar in influencing the technological parameters of the plant cane. Organomineral fertilizer, applied in dose of 130 kg ha(-1) de P2O5 can substitute phosphorus mineral fertilization (160 kg ha(-1) P2O5), presenting up 18,8% economy in fertilizers use.