Fertilization and nutrition for sugarcane
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Pick the plot first Open a new chat and tap Plots (All) under the question box. Choose the plot you want advice for. ORTH then works from that plot’s crop, variety, soil and documents, and from the farm weather. For sugarcane Pick one plot of one variety and one cut. We picked Talhão 1: RB867515 on 12.64 ha of clay soil near Sertãozinho, planted in March 2023 as 18-month cane and harvested for the third time on 18 August 2026, green, with the straw left on the field. Every number below is for that plot. - 2
Start from the Nutrition button Under the question box, tap Nutrition. ORTH offers five ready-made questions, from reading a soil, water or leaf test to a season-long program. Tap one and ORTH asks it straight away, or type your own question. For sugarcane Each cut starts a new ratoon on the same stools. Nutrition follows that cycle: which ratoon it is, when it was cut and what yield you expect from it. - 3
Answer what ORTH asks We tapped Build a season-long nutrition program for this crop. Before planning, ORTH asked three things: which cycle the plot is in, when it was last harvested and the target yield. We answered that Talhão 1 was cut as plant cane in August 2024 and as first ratoon in August 2025, and that the second ratoon was harvested green on 18 August 2026 with the straw left on the field. It is now in its third ratoon, and we target 85 t/ha. - 4
Get the program for this ratoon ORTH built 12 actions from 10 November 2026 to 25 August 2027 for 85 t/ha, with a provisional base of 100 kg N, 140 kg K₂O and 24 kg S per hectare. Phosphorus, magnesium, lime, gypsum and micronutrients wait for the soil and leaf analyses. The first actions are soil samples on 10 November, a check of ratoon establishment and drainage on 12 November, and the first split on 18 November if the clay is trafficable and no heavy rain is coming. It rated the program three stars until those analyses come in. - 5
Check the amounts for the plot The first split on 18 November is 100 kg of ammonium sulfate, 84.8 kg of urea and 116.7 kg of potassium chloride per hectare: 60 kg N, 24 kg S and 70 kg K₂O. For the 12.64 ha that is 1,264 kg of ammonium sulfate, 1,072 kg of urea and 1,475 kg of potassium chloride. Spread it beside the ratoon row, away from the shoots, when moderate rain is expected. The second split on 18 December adds 87 kg of urea and 116.7 kg of potassium chloride per hectare, which brings the season to 100 kg N and 140 kg K₂O. - 6
Save the proposal as actions When ORTH proposes a plan, tap Review to see every action with its date, category and instructions. Change or add actions if you need to, then tap Create. The actions land in the plot’s plans, ready to assign to someone on your team. For sugarcane On Talhão 1 this saved 12 actions, from soil samples on 10 November and leaf samples on 12 January to closing nitrogen applications on 15 April and a yield review after harvest on 25 August 2027. Case 1 Vinasse on the same plot - 7
Credit the vinasse against potassium chloride We asked what changes with vinasse at 100 m³/ha, with 2.0 kg K₂O per m³ from the lab. That supplies 200 kg K₂O/ha, 60 kg more than the 140 kg target, so ORTH took the potassium chloride to zero: 233.3 kg/ha less, about 2,949 kg on the plot. At that rate Talhão 1 takes 1,264 m³ of vinasse, which brings 2,528 kg K₂O. Edit both splits in the plan to remove the potassium chloride and keep the nitrogen and sulfur, because the lab result covers only K₂O. Do not apply vinasse just before the 55.1 mm of rain forecast for 7 November on this clay soil. Apply it only when the soil carries machinery and the risk of runoff or ponding is low. - 8
Plant cane and other varieties For plant cane the vinasse credit stays at 200 kg K₂O/ha, but the program changes: soil correction before planting and phosphorus placement come first, potassium chloride stays away from the seed cane, and nitrogen is worked out again for planting conditions. If the plant-cane K₂O target is above 200 kg/ha, the potassium chloride on top is the target minus 200, divided by 0.60. For CTC 4 or RB966928, ORTH would not change the potassium chloride for the variety name alone. Change the target only when a variety has a different yield target, maturity window, vigor or lodging risk, backed by soil, leaf and field results.
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