Enhanced efficiency phosphorous fertilizers on the coffee crop in sandy soil

Abstract

Crops are generally cultivated in deficient phosphorus soils in the tropics. Phosphorus (P) is essential to crop development and has a low efficient use in fertilizer management. The need to increase P fertilization efficiency justify studies evaluating the performance of enhanced efficiency P fertilizers. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to evaluate coffee growth, plant P contents, and agronomic P fertilization efficiency. The treatments, randomly designed with three replicates, were arranged in a 2x5 factorial scheme: two P sources (Triple Superphosphate – TSP and Policote coated TSP – TSP+Policote) and five P rates (0; 5; 10; 15 and 20 g P2O5.plot-1). The experimental plot was formed by a pot with 14 kg of sandy soil. All treatments were homogenized with the plot's soil. Then, coffee seedlings were transplanted. Coffee growth, plant P content and accumulation, and agronomic P fertilization efficiency were affected by phosphorus fertilization. TSP+Policote promoted higher leaf and plant dry matter yield and P accumulation in coffee than conventional P fertilizer. The higher agronomic efficiency and apparent P recovery efficiency index, observed with TSP+Policote, explain the higher coffee plant growth observed with Policote coated P fertilizer. The obtained results demonstrated that Policote coated P fertilizer can be used as an enhanced efficiency fertilizer. Results show that Policote coated P fertilizer is a more efficient way to deliver the required P to plants.