USE OF ROCK DUST AS SOIL CONDITIONER AND FERTILIZER IN SUGARCANE CROP
This study has evaluated the use of ground mica-schist rock dust in sugarcane crop for the production of biofuels. Four treatments were defined: fine mica schist sand, coarse mica schist sand, control absolute, and control with standard fertilization used by Raízen Company. The treatments were applied in a system of strip cropping with four replications. The results were obtained from measuring the Total Recoverable Sugar per hecter (TRS/ha), a standardazised method in Brazil that defines the price of the sugarcane based on, amog other factors, the prices of sugar and ethanol in the market. The TRS/ha functions like a currency for commercializing sugarcane. The results showed an increase in productivity and industrial quality for the treatments with mica schist when compared to the other treatments.
