High acidity predominates in southeastern and midwestern Brazilian soils, where the largest area of sugar cane plantations is concentrated. Large amounts of slag, a steel-industry residue containing nutrients such as calcium and magnesium and acting as acidity corrective agents, are also present in the region. This study aimed to evaluate different base saturation levels using slag as a soil corrective agent. This material was compared to calcitic limestone to analyze acidity neutralization and certain chemical soil properties, as well as sugarcane response during the first two cuts. Thus, an experiment was carried out using sugarcane variety SP 80-1842 during 1998/1999 and 1999/2000. The treatments were arranged in a randomized block design, with four replications, consisting of two sources of corrective agents-calcitic limestone and slag - and four correction levels, estimated by the base saturation method (V%): control without correction and V% correction of 50,75 and 100. It was concluded that the limestone and slag application had a similar effect on the correction of the soil acidity as well as on the increase of calcium and magnesium concentrations of the soil and base saturation. Limestone and slag applications had a quadratic and linear effect, respectively, on culm production and number of millable stalk.
silicate; calcitic limestone; base saturation; Saccharum L.