Efficiency of boron application in an Oxisol cultivated with banana in the Central Amazon

Adônis Moreira,César De Castro,Nand K Fageria

doi:10.1590/s0001-37652010000400030

Abstract

In the Amazon region, there is no information on the fertilization of banana plants with boron (B). Besides this, the extractant (hot water) currently used to test B concentrations has many limitations. The aim of this work was to study the effect of B on the fruit yield and quality of banana plants of the Cavendish (AAA) sub-group, grown in dystrophic Yellow Latosol (Oxisol or Xanthic Ferralsol), in the Amazonas State, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized split plot in a 4 x 2 factorial scheme, composed of four B rates (0, 4, 8 and 12 kg ha-1) and two harvest cycles (sub-treatments), with four replicates. The B availability in the soil was determined by three extractants: Mehlich 3, hot water and KCl 1.0 mol L-1. The application of B influences the fruit yield, pulp/peel ratio, pulp resistance and B content in the leaves and fruits. The KCl 1.0 mol L-1 extractant was similar to the hot water in the evaluation of available B. To obtain maximum yield, it is necessary to apply 4.1 and 6.1 kg ha-1 of B in the first and second cycles, respectively.

Highlights

Banana growing is among the agricultural activities in Brazil with the greatest economic importance and social range
The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of B rates on the yield and fruit quality of banana plants (Nanicão 2001 – triploid AAA of the Cavendish sub-group) cultivated in a dystrophic Yellow Latosol – Oxisol (40% of the soil in the Amazon region), and to evaluate the leaf and fruit content, associating them with the availability of B from the soil obtained by three extractants: hot water, Mehlich 3 and KCl 1.0 mol L−1
The banana fruit yield increased according to a quadratic model with the enforcement of increasing rates of B (Fig. 1)

Summary

Introduction

Banana growing is among the agricultural activities in Brazil with the greatest economic importance and social range. In the Amazon region, banana plants were previously grown mainly in lowland areas, but with the increased infestation by diseases such as moko, or bacterial banana wilt (caused by Ralstonia solanacearum), and the arrival of black sigatoka (caused by Mycospharella fijiensis) in the region in 1998 (Gasparotto et al.2002), cultivation has largely migrated to areas of higher ground, with little influence of floods, locally called “várzea alta” (“high marshland”) and “terra firme” (“upland soil”), respectively. The switch to these areas has lowered the banana yield

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