Effect of vinasse from ethanol plant and chemical fertilizer on yield and nutrients uptake of sugarcane, and some soil properties

Abstract

The study was carried out in Warin soil series in a farmer field at Ban Supplu Noi, Huay Bong subdistrict, Dan Khun Thot district, Nakhon Ratchasima province to investigate the effect of vinasse and chemical fertilizer on yield and plant nutrient uptake of sugarcane, Khon Kaen 3 variety, and some soil properties.  Field experiment was arranged in split plot with four replications.  Main plot comprised a single application of vinasse at five rates (0, 16, 32, 64 and 128 L/rai of which vinasse was mixed in water and adjusted to 1,600 L) and subplot consisted of a comparison of three rates of chemical fertilizer.  Sugarcane was planted at the end of rainy season and harvested at 14-month of age.  Results showed that vinasse application at the rate of 16–128 L/rai combined with chemical fertilizer added at 2 times of the recommended rate tended to stimulate the highest cane yield (18.76 t/rai) and plant components including number of cane, length and diameter of cane (9,500 no./rai, 258.8 cm and 32.98 mm, respectively).  The application of vinasse highly significantly increased K uptake in cane of sugarcane as the rate increased.  The addition of chemical fertilizer at 2-time of the recommended rate highly significantly induced the highest N and K uptake in cane and P uptake in leaf and tip (p ≤ 0.01) of 11.74, 8.46 and 0.76 kg/rai, respectively.  The use of vinasse at the rate of 64 L/rai also interacted with 2-time of the recommended rate of chemical fertilizer, significantly stimulating the highest N uptake in leaf and tip, and in cane (7.14 and 17.17 kg/rai, p ≤ 0.01, 0.05 respectively), and P and K uptake in leaf and tip (1.19 and 8.19 kg/rai, respectively, p ≤ 0.01).  In addition, vinasse application combined with chemical fertilizer tended to increase available potassium of soil (p ≤ 0.05).