The phosphoric fertilization of Coffea arabica L. in Dark Red Ferritic soil. I. Mineral fertilization

Abstract

The experiment was carried out in areas of the Central Research Station of Coffee and Cocoa, located in Pinares de Mayarí, Holguín, at 650 m over sea level on a Dark Red Ferritic soil, planted with Coffea arabica L. var. Caturra Rojo at a distance of 2x1 m under the shade of pines (Pinus cubensis Griceb). The effect of the phosphoric mineral fertilization (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg P2O5.ha-1.year-1), two fixed basal levels (180 and 240 kg.ha-1.año-1) and K2O (150 and 225 kg.ha-1.year-1) was studied on yield and contents of macrolements in leaves, during three productive cycles of coffee (1981-1987, 1988-1992 and 1993-1997). A randomized block design was used with factorial arrangement of 5 x 2 and five replicates, applying the rectilinear discontinuous pattern to recommend optimum doses. There was a significant answer of coffee to the
applications of phosphoric fertilizer; therefore, during the whole period studied, plants required annual applications of 150 kg P2O5.ha-1.year-1 in presence of superior doses of N and K2O, to achieve the best indexes of growth and yield, ranging 2.0-2.5 t coffee berries.ha-1.year-1. In absence of phosphoric applications, plants presented a very limited growth with acumulative yields of the order of 2.0 % of those obtained with 150 kg P2O5.ha-1.año-1. There was a strong relationship between yields and leaf contents of P (R2=0.997), recording values between 0.08 and 0.21 % associated with nutritional stages from scarce until appropriate, the values of 0.19-0.21 being indicators of a satisfactory nutritional stage. Also, yield was related with calcic nutrition but at a lesser intensity.