Basic concepts of the soil and its fertility for the nutrition of sugar cane

Soil is the basis of agricultural production, as it provides crops with resources necessary for their development. However, it may happen that some nutritive elements are not present in the soil in the amount that a crop requires to reach its maximum productivity. That is why the fertilization work is carried out, in order to provide the necessary amount of nutrients. To correctly calculate the dose of fertilizer to apply, it is necessary to know the chemical, physical and biological aspects of the soil.

This document briefly and concisely presents the basic concepts of the soil that are related to its fertility and the nutrition of sugarcane. It has been designed to enunciate the concepts without delving into them. The development of the same will be done in face-to-face sessions directed by the author, which will be directed to the facilitators the transfer of technology in nutrition and fertilization, within the framework of the Learning and Technical Assistance Program, PAT.

At the end of this review and update session, attendees will be able to to confidently analyze the different scenarios that must be considered when planning the fertilization work, which will help to make the right decisions that allow achieving high productivity of sugarcane in the Cauca river valley, preserving the soil as the base resource of the system productive.