Nutritional status, Na+ and Cl- concentrations, and yield of sugarcane irrigated with brackish waters

ABSTRACT Salinization reduces the osmotic potential of soil solutions and promotes the accumulation of toxic ions (Na+ and Cl-) in plants, causing nutritional imbalance and yield reductions. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate foliar concentrations of nutrients and Na+ and stalk yields in sugarcane RB92579 under different electrical conductivities of irrigation water and leaching fractions (LF). The experiment was conducted in drainage lysimeters in a 5 × 2 factorial scheme with five electrical conductivities of irrigation water - ECw (0.5, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, and 8.0 dS m-1) without (LF1 = 0) or with a leaching fraction (LF2 = 0.17), and four replicates. Increased ECw decreased the concentrations of N, P, K, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn and increased those of Ca, Cl, and Na, reducing the biomass production in two cycles (plant-cane and first ratoon). The use of a leaching fraction of 0.17 mitigated the deleterious effects of salinity on nutrient concentration and yield.