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Foliar Applications of Calcium Reduce and Delay Sugarcane Flowering

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Abstract

The flowering of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) is a developmental stage that is desirable for breeding programs but undesirable for commercial cultivation, since it causes losses in sugar content and cane yield. This study aimed to (1) characterise the flowering of four varieties of sugarcane with different flowering times and intensities, (2) determine the nutrient levels in their vegetative apexes and (3) to evaluate the effect of calcium on their flowering. The study was divided into two trials. In the first trial, we tested the effect of planting season on the flowering of four varieties of sugarcane that had contrasting flowering periods. Late or reluctant flowering varieties had higher concentrations of calcium in their vegetative apexes in relation to the early variety. At the same time, the early variety, with heavy flowering, had higher potassium in its vegetative apexes. In the second trial, the effect of calcium on their flowering was tested. The application of calcium on the leaves resulted in its accumulation in the vegetative apexes, causing a reduction in potassium levels in the same tissue. This changed the plant phenology, resulting in a month’s delay in flowering and a 50 % reduction in the final flowering intensity. Calcium application by foliar sprays can be used to delay and reduce sugarcane flowering.

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Funding

We acknowledge the Research Foundation for the State of Alagoas (FAPEAL) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for financial support.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Fisiologia Vegetal, Centro de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Maceió, AL, CEP: 57072-900, Brazil

    Lauricio Endres, Sihélio Júlio Silva da Cruz, Romel Duarte Vilela, João Messias dos Santos, Geraldo Veríssimo de Souza Barbosa & João Antônio Carvalho Silva

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  1. Lauricio Endres
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  2. Sihélio Júlio Silva da Cruz
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Correspondence to Lauricio Endres.

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Endres, L., da Cruz, S.J.S., Vilela, R.D. et al. Foliar Applications of Calcium Reduce and Delay Sugarcane Flowering. Bioenerg. Res. 9, 98–108 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-015-9663-5

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