Integrated nutrient management in sugarcane-based production systems: A review

Sugarcane, a long duration and large biomass accumulating crop, removes substantial quantities of plant nutrients from soil. The nutrient management strategies should be in tune with large nutritional requirements ensuring full replenishment of the nutrients depleted through intensive sugarcane-based production systems. The management of plant nutrients for high sugarcane production with improved quality traits demands integration of chemical fertilizers with organics such as green manures/legumes-N, crop residues, bio-manures and sugar factory by-products/wastes to enhance nutrient use efficiency and reduce production cost. Use of organics in association with chemical fertilizers has proved superior to its individual components. Moreover, organics increase the nutrient use efficiency and help in correcting the emerging deficiencies of nutrients other than N, P and K, particularly the micronutrients. Therefore, to improve the productivity per unit of area and time without compromising on soil health, it is inevitable to formulate an integrated approach involving all the means and ways, viz. cultural, use of organics and inorganics, crop residue recycling and bio-fertilizers. The paper discusses these issues with respect to sugarcane-based production system in subtropical conditions.