Spatial variability of soil fertility and its relation with cocoa yield

Railton O Dos Santos,Samuel A Silva,Agna A Menezes,Laís B Franco,George A Sodré

doi:10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v21n2p88-93

Abstract

ABSTRACT The knowledge on the spatial variability of soil properties and crops is important for decision-making on agricultural management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial variability of soil fertility and its relation with cocoa yield. The study was conducted over 14 months in an area cultivated with cocoa. A sampling grid was created to study soil chemical properties and cocoa yield (stratified in season, off-season and annual). The data were analyzed using descriptive and exploratory statistics, and geostatistics. The chemical attributes were classified using fuzzy logic to generate a soil fertility map, which was correlated with maps of crop yield. The soil of the area, except for the western region, showed possibilities ranging from medium to high for cocoa cultivation. Soil fertility showed positive spatial correlation with cocoa yield, and its effect was predominant only for the off-season and annual cocoa.

Highlights

In the last years, the southern portion of the Bahia state, the main cocoa-producing region of Brazil, has faced a serious production crisis, due to the appearance and spread of the witch-broom disease (Souza Júnior et al, 2011)
The knowledge on the variability of soil fertility and determination of fertilizer doses to be applied constitute a decisive step for the cocoa crop management
The increase in the efficiency of agricultural managements must contemplate the spatial and temporal variability existing at the field (Silva et al, 2015)

Summary

Introduction

The southern portion of the Bahia state, the main cocoa-producing region of Brazil, has faced a serious production crisis, due to the appearance and spread of the witch-broom disease (Souza Júnior et al, 2011). Cocoa production sustainability is related, besides more efficient genetic materials, to the utilization of specific production systems including the use of correctives and fertilizers (Chepote et al, 2013). In this context, the knowledge on the variability of soil fertility and determination of fertilizer doses to be applied constitute a decisive step for the cocoa crop management. The increase in the efficiency of agricultural managements must contemplate the spatial and temporal variability existing at the field (Silva et al, 2015). This study aimed to evaluate the spatial variability of soil fertility and its relation with coca yield

Material and Methods

Results and Discussion

Conclusions

Literature Cited