Abstract

DIAZ FANCO, Arturo; ESPINOSA RAMIREZ, Martín  and  ORTIZ CHAIREZ, Flor Elena. Promotion of biomass and sugars content in sweet sorghum through organic amendment and arbuscular mycorrhizae. Rev. Int. Contam. Ambient [online]. 2016, vol.32, n.3, pp.353-360. ISSN 0188-4999.  https://doi.org/10.20937/RICA.2016.32.03.09.

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a crop that can be used to produce sugar, alcohol and biofuel. Synthetic fertilization has covered the nutritional needs of the crop. With the purpose of reducing the use of fertilizers, the effectiveness of the seed inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus intraradices (micorriza INIFAP) plus half dose of conventional synthetic fertilizer, chicken manure (Meyfer) (3 t/has), full synthetic fertilization (N 120 kg/ha and P 40 kg/ha) and an absolute control with-out inoculation and fertilization treatment, was evaluated. The variables measured were chlorophyll, leaf, panicle and stem biomass, as well as stem sugar content (Brix degrees) in every two internodes. The application of chicken manure or inoculation of mycorrhiza INIFAP plus half the synthetic fertilization, promoted the response of sweet sorghum in terms of stem biomass and sugar content so that they were similar to the treatment with full fertilization. The results indicate that the implementation of mycorrhizal inoculation in sweet sorghum may represent a more environmentally friendly management. Inoculation with mycorrhizal inoculant INIFAP plus half syn-thetic fertilization was the fertilization management with the lowest cost ($1217/ha) for sweet sorghum production.

Keywords : chicken manure; Rhizophagus intraradices; Sorghum bicolor.