ABSTRACT Phosphorus is essential for plant metabolism. Although banana plants do not absorb large quantities, most of this mineral is exported together with the fruits, where the nutrients are related to sensory, nutritional, and technological qualities. Highly weathered soils, such as those found in most of Brazil, can immobilize phosphorus because of the cationic charges in iron and aluminum ions, making the element unavailable to plants and more challenging for phosphate fertilization. Brazil is the fourth-largest banana producer worldwide and […]

The efficient use of phosphate fertilizers in soils of the tropical region is still a challenge, mainly regarding long-term soil management. Based on the cumulative response of three successive maize cultivations, alternatives of phosphorus supply combining P sources and application methods were compared in a formerly fertilized Red Argisol. Treatments arranged in a 4 x 3 + 1 factorial scheme represented by four P sources (180 kg ha-1 P2O5) as triple superphosphate – TS, magnesium termophosphate – MT, Arad reactive rock phosphate – RP, and Araxá […]