Objective: The application of amino-chelated potassium and silicon enhances the quantitative and qualitative traits of sugarcane. This study investigated the effects of different concentrations of silica and potassium amino-chelated on the quantitative and qualitative traits of the sugarcane variety IRC69-1062 across plant-ratoon systems in Khuzestan.

Methods: To investigate the effects of foliar application of silica and potassium amino-chelated on the quantitative and qualitative traits of sugarcane (plant-ratoon systems), a field experiment carried out during 2024 -2025 growing season in Dabal Khazaei Sugarcane Cultivation and Industry in a split-plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Main plots consisted of plant and ratoon crops including, Plant Crop, Ratoon1 and Ratoon 2. Sub plots consisted of four levels of silica and potassium amino-chelated, including a control (no application) and three application rates of 2, 4, and 6 L ha⁻¹. The experiment carried out on plant and ratoon crops of the IRC69-1062 variety.

Results: The results of this study showed that plant age and foliar application of silica and potassium amino-chelated had a significant effect on sugarcane yield components. The highest values for stalk number (165000 stalks per hectare), single stalk weight (0.82 kg), stalk height (269 cm), cane yield (88 t ha⁻¹), and sugar yield (1.9 t ha⁻¹) were observed in Plant Crops, while the greatest reductions were recorded in the second ratoon crop, with decreases of 20%, 35%, 17%, 38%, and 37%, respectively. With increasing plant age, recoverable sugar increased from 10.3% in plant crops to 10.6% in the Ratoon 2, and juice purity rose from 82% to 86%, indicating that older plants allocate more resources toward sugar synthesis and storage. Foliar application at 6 L ha⁻¹ concentration of silica and potassium amino-chelated significantly increased single stalk weight (0.76 kg), stalk height (252 cm), cane yield (71 t ha⁻¹), sugar yield (5.7 t ha⁻¹), and juice sucrose content (17.5%). Foliar application of amino-chelated silicon and potassium at a concentration of 6‰ significantly increased stalk weight (29%), stalk height (10%), cane yield (15%), sugar yield (19%), and syrup sucrose content (4%) compared with the untreated control. The interaction between plant age and foliar application showed that ratoon plants benefited the most from the combined application of amino-chelated silicon and potassium, such that recoverable sugar in the Ratoon 2 increased from 9.8% to 11% with foliar spraying at a rate of 4 L ha⁻¹.

Conclusion: These findings highlight that nutrient management with amino-chelated compounds, tailored to plant age, can simultaneously enhance both the quantitative yield and sugar quality of sugarcane without the need to alter planting time or substantially increase soil fertilizer inputs.