Financial Impact of Irrigation and Nitrogen: Topdressing in Rural Enterprises of Sugarcane in Uruaçu, Brazil

Abstract

The success of a project depends on a good planning of activities focused on increasing yield and minimizing production costs. The objective of the present work was to assess the economic viability of irrigated sugarcane crops (plant crop and ratoon crop) under nitrogen topdressing, in northern state of Goiás (GO), Brazil. The data needed for the research were obtained in a sugarcane crop area in the Estrela do Lago Farm, which belongs to the Uruaçu industry, in the municipality of Uruaçu, GO. The CTC4 sugarcane variety was used, which has high tillering and yield, and great adaptability to mechanized planting and harvest. The sugarcane was planted in double rows spaced 1.80 m apart. The total nitrogen topdressing rate (100 Kg ha^-1) was divided into three applications with 60-day intervals during the crop development. The costs were obtained based on the following items: mechanized operations; manual operations; consumed material, and other expenses. The production cost was calculated using the total production operational cost structure used by the Brazilian Institute of Agricultural Economy. The highest costs for sugarcane in plant crop, with and without nitrogen topdressing, are due to mechanized operations and consumed material, which reached approximately 60% of the costs.