Identification of nutritional and environmental factors affecting sugarcane production in barbados

Abstract

Sugarcane production in Barbados has declined since the 1950s. Plant nutrition and fertilization deficiencies are generally believed to negatively influence yields in Barbados. The objective of this study was to identify nutritional and environmental factors related to sugarcane yields. Leaf analyses, respective crop yields, and other data were collected from the Barbados Sugar Industry Ltd. during the period 1985–1990. The database was constructed from 2,853 site observations, consisting of crop cane yield (Mt/ha), soil grouping, ecological grouping, growing elevation, and leaf tissue analysis nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K)]. Simple mean separation and tree‐based regression were used to identify nutritional and environmental factors associated with sugarcane yields. Twenty‐three environments were delineated by tree‐based regression, in which plant nutrient deficiencies (i.e., yield limiting) were identified. One environment described N‐deficient conditions, four environments described P‐deficient conditions, and five environments described K‐deficient conditions. Different critical leaf nutrient concentrations were related to yields. A single nutrient norm under different environments may be misleading. If current fertilizer recommendations are adhered to by growers in Barbados, attention to additional fertilization should be given only under these environments.