Abstract
ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the extraction/exportation of macronutrients by cladodes of ‘Gigante’ cactos pear, grown under diferente spacings and doses of cattle manure applied to the soil 600 days after planting. Twelve treatments were used, three spacing (1.00 x 0.50; 2.00 x 0.25 and 3.00 x 1.00 x 0.25 m) and four doses of cattle manure (0, 30, 60 and 90 Mg ha-1 year-1), arranged in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme in randomized blocks, with three replicates. The extraction/exportation of N, P, K, S, Ca and Mg was determined, whose respective values for maximum dry matter production (21.8 Mg ha-1), with a cattle manure dose of 71.8 Mg ha-1 year-1 were: 287.9, 46.2, 924.2, 40.7, 609.7 and 249.1 kg ha-1, 600 days after planting. The amounts extracted/exported from N, P, K and Ca varied independently with spacings and manure doses, while Mg and S were dependent on the interaction between factors. The doses of manure are insufficient to meet the demand of extracted/exported K, Ca and Mg. The increments in the doses promote greater nutrient uptake by the plant. The extracted/exported macronutrients in largest amounts are: K, Ca, N, Mg, P and S, in this order.
Highlights
Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) is an indispensable forage support in the semi-arid regions, because it maintains the photosynthetic activity in period of prolonged drought for more than five months (Zañudo-Hernández et al, 2010)
There was interaction between spacings and cattle manure doses for Mg and S in cladodes of cactus pear and the best means occurred at the doses of 60 and 90 Mg ha-1 year-1 for Mg and S, respectively, at the spacing of 1.0 x 0.5 m
The increments in cattle manure doses promoted a greater extraction of nutrients and increased their contents in the cladodes of the cactus pear
Summary
Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) is an indispensable forage support in the semi-arid regions, because it maintains the photosynthetic activity in period of prolonged drought for more than five months (Zañudo-Hernández et al, 2010). Changes in crop management, such as population density, combination of spacings and doses of organic (Donato et al, 2014) or chemical fertilization can interfere with the use of radiation and nutritional status of the plant (Galizzi et al, 2004; Silva et al, 2012), with consequent increment in the photosynthetic rates, growth and yield (Blanco-Macías et al, 2010), and in the extraction/exportation of nutrients. Donato et al (2014) observed influence of planting spacings and organic fertilization doses on the morphometric characteristics and dry matter production of cactus pear In this crop, harvest removes almost all the vegetative part, leaving no residues for incorporation to the soil, which characterizes a large extraction/exportation. Considering the longevity of the crop, it is concluded that, after 15 years, if the exported nutrients are not replaced over time, the sustainability and resilience of the crop will be compromised, especially in soils of the Brazilian semi-arid region (Fialho et al, 2013)
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