Abstract
ABSTRACT Low grain yield of cowpea is influenced by several production factors, especially inadequate soil fertilization, in particular, phosphorus application. Tropical soils have low phosphorus and zinc levels due to either the source material or the absence of fertilization, which restricts cowpea grain yield; besides of that, zinc deficiency is accentuated with phosphor application. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of fertilization with phosphorus and zinc on cowpea yield. Two experiments were conducted, one with ‘BRS Guariba’ cultivar and another with ‘BRS Aracê’ cultivar. Both of them were performed on a medium-texture dystrophic Yellow Latosol (Oxisol), in the city of Magalhães de Almeida, Maranhão state (Brazil), in 2015. The experimental design was a randomized complete block in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme, using four doses of phosphorus (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg P2O5 ha-1), and four of zinc (0, 2, 4, and 6 kg of Zn ha-1). There was an interaction between these minerals (p<0.01). Maximum grain yields of 1,376 kg ha-1 and 2,165 kg ha-1 were obtained at doses of 118 kg P2O5 ha-1 and 0.9 kg zinc ha-1 for ‘BRS Guariba’, and 120 kg P2O5 ha-1 and 3.1 kg zinc ha-1 for ‘BRS Aracê’, respectively. The production component of greatest influence on grain yield was the number of pods per plant, with average values of 6 and 10 for ‘BRS Guariba’ and ‘BRS Aracê’ cultivars, respectively. The mean correlation coefficient was 0.82 (p < 0.01).
Highlights
Brazilian soils are mostly deficient in phosphorus, and its addition to correct deficiencies, associated with pH elevation by liming, are fundamental practices to increase the productivity of annual crops; they may induce zinc deficiency (FAGERIA, 1984; FAGERIA, 2000)
Cowpea cultivation is observed to be expanding to the Cerrado region, the North, Northeast, and Center-West, where it is incorporated into the productive arrangements as the second harvest after the soybean and corn crops, and in some as the main culture
A randomized block design was used with treatments arranged in a 4 x 4 factorial design, that is, four phosphorus levels (0.0 40.0 80.0, and 120.0 kg P2O5 ha-1), and four zinc levels (0.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 6.0 kg of Zinc levels (Zn) ha-1), in the form of triple superphosphate (45% P2O5), and zinc sulfate (20% Zn), respectively
Summary
Brazilian agriculture has been undergoing great technological changes and, in addition, the globalization of agribusiness has provoked reflections in the productive chain of several crops, especially those that depend on the use of a large input volume, notably fertilizers and agricultural pesticides. These crops have a higher production cost each year and, as a result, producers have sought new options for their productive arrangements. Cowpea cultivation is observed to be expanding to the Cerrado region, the North, Northeast, and Center-West, where it is incorporated into the productive arrangements as the second harvest after the soybean and corn crops, and in some as the main culture. The supply of a standardized, high quality product in quantity and with regularity has aroused the interest of agroindustries from other regions and is contributing to the opening of new markets for this culture
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