Yield of onion in soil with cattle manure and nitrogen

Aline B Belem,Antonio M P Bertino,Ademar P De Oliveira,Luciana M Guimarães,Josyelem T L Chaves

doi:10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v24n3p149-153

Abstract

ABSTRACT Onion is the third vegetable crop in economic importance for Brazil, only behind potato and tomato, and responds with increased production to the use of organic and mineral fertilizers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of doses of cattle manure and nitrogen (N) on onion growth and yield. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, in 6 x 2 factorial scheme, corresponding to six doses of cattle manure (0; 10; 20; 30; 40 and 50 t ha-1), in the presence and absence of N, with four repetitions. The variables studied were: shoot fresh and dry masses, total and marketable bulb yields, percentage of bulbs classified and leaf N content. There was an interactive effect (p ≤ 0.05) of cattle manure and N doses on shoot fresh and dry masses, total and marketable yields, classification of bulbs according to transverse diameter and N concentration in onion bulbs. The optimal dose for marketable yield of bulbs is 27 t ha-1 of cattle manure in the presence of N.

Highlights

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is the third vegetable crop in economic importance for Brazil, only behind potato and tomato
There were interactive effects (p ≤ 0.05) of cattle manure and nitrogen doses on shoot fresh and dry masses, total and marketable yields, classification of bulbs according to their transverse diameter and on N concentration in onion bulbs
Regardless of the treatments, the fresh mass production of onion plants increased over time, and the superiority at 80 days after transplanting (DAT) in the treatments with cattle manure, both in the presence and in the absence of N, is possibly due to the gradual enrichment of the soil with essential macro- and micronutrients for onion

Summary

Introduction

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is the third vegetable crop in economic importance for Brazil, only behind potato and tomato. Onion production in Brazil is an activity practiced mainly by small producers and its socio-economic importance is based on profitability, but on the great demand for labor, contributing to the feasibility of small properties and maintenance of producers in the rural area, reducing migration to major cities (Resende & Costa, 2009). The use of cattle manure becomes a useful and economical practice for small and medium producers of vegetables (Araújo et al, 2007), which react well to this type of fertilization. The use of this input for several consecutive years promotes accumulation of organic nitrogen in the soil, increasing its mineralization potential and its availability to plants (Oliveira et al, 2010)

Objectives

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Results