Summary
This field trial evaluated vinasse fertigation in sugarcane production, combining soil chemical analysis, microbial community profiling and leaf metabolomics to assess impacts on soil-plant-microbe interactions. Vinasse application raised soil pH and potassium availability, stimulated potassium-solubilizing and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and altered leaf carbohydrate and organic acid metabolism, resulting in 32% higher cane yield (101.69 vs 77.03 tonnes per hectare). However, this productivity gain came at the cost of reduced technological quality, with substantially lower sucrose, °Brix and reducing sugars, reflecting a shift in plant carbon allocation from sucrose storage toward vegetative growth.
Regional applicability
This research is directly applicable to sugarcane production in tropical and subtropical regions with vinasse-recycling practices (common in Brazil, India, and other major cane producers), though the United Kingdom has minimal sugarcane cultivation. The findings are transferable to UK horticultural or arable systems considering organic waste recycling and microbial-mediated nutrient cycling, but climate, soil type and crop physiology differ substantially. The trade-off between yield and product quality identified here may inform UK regenerative agriculture strategies that rely on high-carbon residue inputs.
Key measures
Soil pH, electrical conductivity, base cation concentrations (K+, Ca2+, Mg2+), phosphorus- and potassium-solubilizing bacterial populations, nitrogen-fixing bacterial populations, leaf carbohydrate and organic acid content (1H NMR metabolomics), vegetative biomass, tonnes of cane per hectare, sucrose concentration (%w v−1), °Brix, total reducing sugars, glucose and fructose levels
Outcomes reported
The study measured soil physicochemical properties, microbial community composition, leaf metabolite profiles using 1H NMR metabolomics, crop development, and post-harvest quality parameters (sucrose, °Brix, reducing sugars) in vinasse-fertigated versus control sugarcane.
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