In the industrial process of sugar cane, large volumes of organic by-products are generated (cachaça and vinasse) that have been used as a complement to fertilization with chemical synthesis fertilizers.
With the start of the ethanol distillation, the production of the vinasse began, which from that moment began to be used as potassium fertilizer with liquid application directly to the soil or in mixture with cachaça to produce compost. In order to achieve optimal use of these by-products, studies have been carried out that have allowed defining the doses and times of application of compost to achieve the maximum benefit with the highest profitability. Currently working on the definition of doses and times of application of vinasse alone or in mixture with N when necessary. The effect of incorporating green manure (cowpea), sown in the recesses of the cane and incorporated at 50 days after sowing, on the requirement of chemical nitrogen fertilizer, biological activity, soil quality and productivity is also being evaluated. of the crop.
