Adubação líquida na implantação da lavoura cafeeira (Coffea arabica L.)

Abstract

Coffee fertilization is one of the cultural practices which raises the most production cost and is traditionally accomplished with the use of solid formulation. Although, some coffee growers of the Minas´ Cerrado (savanna-like vegetation) have used liquid fertilizers with apparent success and reduction of production cost.. In order to evaluate this new alternative, the present experiment was set up, aiming to compare the nutritional efficiency and economic viability of liquid fertilization relative to conventional solid fertilization. The trial was set up in a factorial scheme 2 x 5 x 4, with three replicates in the randomized block design (RBD) in a newly planted crop of cultivar Topázio MG1190, on the Cascata Farm, town of Boa Esperança, MG. Two ways of fertilizing were utilized (solid or liquid) and five doses of NK (50%, 75%, 100%, 125% and 150% of the standard recommendation for the region) applied into 2, 4, 8 or 12 splits. The investigated parameters were: plant height, crown diameter and chlorophyll content. It was found liquid fertilization provided greater vegetative growth and smaller economic cost than solid fertilization. Chlorophyll fertilization was similar to both treatments and black mould incidence presented an infection index regarded as low of about 3%, its being similar to both kinds of fertilization.