Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth, root and shoot dry mass accumulation and nutritional status of rubber tree in the initial stage of cultivation, under different combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Combinations of the following doses were tested: 0, 20, 40 and 80 kg ha-1 of N; 0, 75, 150 and 300 kg ha-1 of P2O5; and 0, 25, 50 and 100 kg of K2O. Under the soil and climate conditions analyzed, the combinations of NPK fertilization applied at planting only caused significant growth responses of rubber tree plants as a function of the absence of N and its presence at the dose of 80 kg ha-1. Through leaf analysis it was possible to verify that N fertilization and P fertilization are adequately meeting the needs of rubber tree plants, while the K doses tested did not reach the adequate levels of sufficiency.
Highlights
Brazil accounts for approximately 1% of the global production of natural rubber, but despite this small contribution, the sector has great importance in the country, which is confirmed by the presence of numerous rubber processing industries, especially pneumatic, and by a demand that is still far from being met by national production (RODRIGUES; COSTA, 2009; GONÇALVES et al, 2010; BARRETO et al, 2016)
There was no significant interaction between the N, P and K doses applied for the variables root dry mass, stem dry mass, leaf dry mass and total dry mass
For leaf dry mass and root dry mass, difference was only observed for the N doses applied, where the highest dose of N fertilizer (80 kg N ha-1) promoted higher leaf mass compared to the lowest dose (20 kg N ha-1) (Table 1)
Summary
Brazil accounts for approximately 1% of the global production of natural rubber, but despite this small contribution, the sector has great importance in the country, which is confirmed by the presence of numerous rubber processing industries, especially pneumatic, and by a demand that is still far from being met by national production (RODRIGUES; COSTA, 2009; GONÇALVES et al, 2010; BARRETO et al, 2016). According to Sampaio Filho et al (2006), the projection of consumption of natural rubber in Brazil, by the year 2030, can reach 1 million tons. Due to this increase in the demand for natural rubber, in Brazil there is an expansion of the areas destined for the planting of rubber trees for latex production (ABRAF, 2012). Good development of rubber tree in the field, after transplantation, depends greatly on its nutritional status (CAVALCANTE and CONFORTO, 2013), because young plants grow with continuous flushes of new leaves until the fourth or fifth year of age, and it is in this period that the absorption of nutrients essential for plant growth and FLORESTA, Curitiba, PR, v. Good development of rubber tree in the field, after transplantation, depends greatly on its nutritional status (CAVALCANTE and CONFORTO, 2013), because young plants grow with continuous flushes of new leaves until the fourth or fifth year of age, and it is in this period that the absorption of nutrients essential for plant growth and FLORESTA, Curitiba, PR, v. 51, n. 1, p. 010-018, jan/mar 2021
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