The area of sugarcane development in Indonesia is still concentrated in Java. The area of sugarcane in Java Island is around 65% and most of it is on dry land (Ditjenbun, 2014). According to Mulyono (2006), the shift in sugarcane development area in Java Island from rice fields to dry land began in 1994 as a result of the rice self-sufficiency program. Rice fields are the mainstay sugarcane development area because they are able to produce a yield of 10.5% with crystalline yields of 8.9 tons ha-1. As a result of the shift in land use, the yield obtained was only around 7.42% with a crystalline yield of 5.78 tons ha-1 (Ditjenbun, 2014). Increasing crystalline yields needs to be increased so that national sugar needs can be met from domestic production.
Dry land used as a sugarcane development area has prominent characteristics such as limited water availability, declining land productivity and highly variable soil fertility (Purwanto and Agustono, 2010). Meeting the water needs of sugarcane plants in dry land only relies on rainwater so that irrigation is not possible. Therefore, efforts that can be made to increase sugarcane productivity and crystalline yields in dry land are adding nutrients to the soil through fertilization applications.