Influencia de la fuente y dosis de nitrógeno usada en la fertilización de caña de azúcar en los niveles de infestación de Diatraea saccharalis: resultados preliminares

A. R. SALVATORE,; ALONSO L.; ROMERO E; ISAS M; PEREZ, M. L. DEL P; PADILLA A; GARCÍA J. M.; D. BRAVO WÜRSCHMIDT; WILLINK E; SCANDALIARIS J; GASTAMINZA G

Encuentro; XIX Reunión técnica nacional de la caña de azúcar; 2014

Given the need to increase the productivity of sugar cane fields in recent years the producers increased the use of fertilizers or applying synthetic or alternative sources for better production. The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis, is the major pest of sugarcane in NW Argentina. Its populations are known to be influenced by the nutritional state of the sugarcane. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of synthetic nitrogen fertilization and its total or partial replacement by bioactivators and biofertilizers on D. saccharalis attack. Three different trials were evaluated: I) Five treatments were evaluated: control (N=0), urea total dose (TD=115 kg N/ha), urea half dose (HD=57,5 kg N/ha), urea HD + 10 l/ha of biofertilizer, and 10 l/ha of biofertilizer, in 6-row, 200m plots, and with 3 replicates in the localities Alto Verde (Chicligasta), La Banda (Aguilares) and León Rouges (Monteros); II) Six treatments were evaluated: control (N 0), urea total dose (TD=115 kg N/ha), urea TD (N 115) + Bioactivator, urea half dose (HD=57,5 kg N/ha), urea HD + Bioactivator (N 0) and Bioactivator (N 0) at Cachi Yaco and Fronterita; III) Six treatments were evaluated control (N=0), urea total dose (TD=115 kg N/ha), urea half dose (HD=57,5 kg N/ha), urea HD + 10 l/ha of biofertilizer, 10 l/ha of biofertilizer + 2 l/ha bioactivator and urea 300 Kg/ha (in excess). In all cases the infestation intensity was determined from 3 samples of 10 stalks per replicate. In all trials the highest infestation percentages were found associated with urea as a synthetic fertilizer, intermediate infestations in urea half dose treatments, and lowest infestation in control, biofertilizer and bioactivator treatments. Synthetic fertilization was the main responsible for the increase of the infestation levels.