  The non-linear evolution of dense partonic systems has been suggested as one
of the novel physics mechanisms relevant to the dynamics of hadron-nucleus and
nucleus-nucleus collisions at collider energies. Here we study to what extent
the description of Cronin enhancement in the framework of this non-linear
evolution is consistent with the recent observation in 200 AGeV d--Au
collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. We solve the
Balitsky-Kovchegov evolution equation numerically for several initial
conditions encoding Cronin enhancement. We find that the properly normalized
nuclear gluon distribution is suppressed at all momenta relative to that of a
single nucleon. Calculating the resulting spectrum of produced gluons in p-A
and A-A collisions, we establish that the nonlinear QCD evolution is unable to
generate a Cronin type enhancement, and that it quickly erases any such
enhancement which may be present at lower energies.
