Response of two sugarcane varieties to inoculation with Gluconacetobacter spp. in Mauritius
| MSI08P4318 | |
| Moutia, J-F Y Umrit, G Saumtally, S A Vanderleyden, J | |
| Response of two sugarcane varieties to inoculation with Gluconacetobacter spp. in Mauritius | |
| University of Gent, [Programme and Abstracts] 8th European Nitrogen Fixation Conference, Gent, Belgium, August 30-September 3, 2008 | |
| paper presented | |
| 2008 | |
| p. 196 | |
| Abstract only | |
| En | |
| En | |
| Sugarcane production in Mauritius relies on the intensive use of inorganic fertilizers, which account for approximately 10 per cent of the total production cost. Of these, nitrogen (N) fertilizers are of key importance both from the economic and environmental viewpoint. The use of N fertilizer in sugarcane cultivation in Mauritius has risen from 2500 t in the late 1940s to 11 000 t (representing EUR 5 million) in 1999. Today, the price of N fertilizer has increased to EUR 1120/t representing an increase of 158 per cent over the past nine years. Due to the low efficiency of N utilization and the potential threat to the environment through contamination of surface and ground water, alternatives to N fertilization has been sought. In that context, two sugarcane varieties R570 and M1176/77 have been inoculated with Gluconacetobacter spp. to gauge their potential to obtain N from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Four different combinations of nitrogen fertilizer and bacterial inoculum were compared. Results indicated that relatively low bacterial populations have established themselves. The two varieties responded differently to the treatments. Growth and development of sugarcane in inoculated plots were comparable to or better than the control treatment. The sucrose content represented by the industrially recoverable sucrose content (IRSC) was not significantly different between treatments, indicating a beneficial effect following inoculation. The ?15N signature as determined by Isotope Mass Ratio Spectrometry (IRMS) was also followed at regular intervals and a definite trend indicating fixation was observed. It was estimated that at the end of the first year, BNF had contributed 9.5 per cent of the N requirement of R570 when the latter was inoculated with Gluconacetobacter spp. and received 35 kg N/ha. Growth and development in the ratoon crop of 2007/2008 has confirmed the promising results obtained in the virgin cane. | |
| nitrogen fixation biological nitrogen fixation Gluconacetobacter spp sugarcane nitrogen fertilizers fertilizers | |
| Mauritius | |
| Sugarcane: Soils and nutrition | |
| Biological nitrogen fixation | |
| 2008-12-18 | |
| En | |
| PATH | |
| CAT | |
| 1 | |
| PATH CHEM |