Abstract
Agricultural efficiency has been associated with high plant productivity. However, it is dependent on fertilizers, which are nonrenewable resources. Crop production response to fertilizers is hyperbolic, following the Michaelis-Menten model and the law of diminishing return. Data of crop production (barley, bean, corn, cotton, soybean and wheat) as a function of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilization were analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk data transformation (L-B), that allows to calculate the amount of a specific nutrient needed to reach half (ks) or other percentages of the theoretical maximum response (kmax) and the efficiency of fertilizer use (kg of grain/kg of fertilizer). The efficiency of fertilizer use presented exponential decay by increasing fertilization: 55 to 3; 63 to 5; and 47 to 1 kg of corn/kg of fertilizer, by increasing nitrogen, P2O5 and potassium from 40 to 200; 40 to 200; and 60 to 300 kg haâ1, respectively. The L-B can be an alternative to the linearplateau and polynomial regression methods of recommendation of plant fertilization, in which the fertilizers recommendation should be based on their efficiency of use, avoiding losses of nutrients, environmental pollution, waste of nonrenewable natural resources, and reducing productive costs.
Highlights
IntroductionThe mean productivity of corn grain and soybean in Brazil is 2,770 and 2,430 kg ha−1, respectively and the highest commercial productivity is
Productive efficiency has been associated with increase in productivity
The use of fertilizers in agriculture has to be evaluated with caution, since fertilization represents around 42% of productive costs, the marginal increase in plant growth response reduces as the amount of fertilization increases[6] and the increase in fertilization leads to soil and water pollution and waste of nonrenewable natural fertilizer resources
Summary
The mean productivity of corn grain and soybean in Brazil is 2,770 and 2,430 kg ha−1, respectively and the highest commercial productivity is. 11,000 and 4,800 kg ha−1, respectively[7] Based on this information, researchers believe that there is a good potential to be achieved by the producers. Crop production responds in a curvilinear fashion to fertilizer (hyperbolic function) and the maximum profitability is believed to be when the plants do not respond anymore to fertilization[8]. The level of fertilizer recommendation is normally obtained by linear response plateau or quadratic regression, considering the maximum plant performance. The use of fertilizers in agriculture has to be evaluated with caution, since fertilization represents around 42% of productive costs, the marginal increase in plant growth response reduces as the amount of fertilization increases[6] and the increase in fertilization leads to soil and water pollution and waste of nonrenewable natural fertilizer resources
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