ABSTRACT: Research focused on adequate nutrition of plants is essential in modern coffee production to increase yield and develop more efficient management strategies with greater environmental and economic sustainability. The objectives of this study were to establish critical and optimal levels of soil fertility properties for high yielding Arabica coffee crops using the Boundary Line method and, then, relate the macronutrient contents in the diagnostic leaf of coffee to the macronutrients available in the soil using the Quadrant Diagram of […]

ABSTRACT The use of gypsum to improve the root environment in tropical soils in the southeastern and central-western regions of Brazil is a widespread practice with well-established recommendation criteria. However, only recently gypsum began to be used on subtropical soils in South of Brazil, so available knowledge of its effect on crop yield is incipient and mainly for soils under no-till (NT) systems. Avaiable studies span a wide range of responses, from a substantial increase to a slight reduction in […]

ABSTRACT: Determining nutrient uptake and accumulation rates by cotton crops is important to define management strategies, especially for transgenic varieties, which are cultivated using high-technology approaches that require substantial investment to maximize yield. Currently in Brazil, the states of Bahia and Mato Grosso are responsible for 84.4 % of the total cotton growing area. In the present study, two trials were conducted in 2013, one that involved planting FM 940 GLT, FM 980 GLT, and FM 913 GLT varieties in […]

ABSTRACT: Vale do Rio Doce shoot dieback (VRDSD) is an anomaly whose cause seems to be associated with hypoxic conditions and their consequences (excess Mn and Fe) triggered by elevation of the water table in areas with poor drainage. Different plants have distinct survival strategies under this form of stress. The objective of this study was to understand the physiological responses involved in the differential tolerance of eucalyptus clones to VRDSD and their relationship to hypoxia and excess Mn. A […]

ABSTRACT For the development of nutrient budget models to recommend lime and fertilizers for agricultural and forestry crops, curves of plant growth and nutrient accumulation are required. Information about how nutrients are partitioned between the different plant organs is also necessary, but still scarce for pine in Brazil. This study evaluated the growth, biomass partitioning, and nutrient dynamics in pine forests in southern Brazil. To this end, we assessed unthinned 2, 4, 6, and 8-year-old stands of Pinus taeda L. […]

Abstract Nicotine concentration is a key index and directly affects the industrial quality and availability of flue-cured tobacco (FCT). Seedlings transplanted at different times were subjected to different climatic conditions, which were closely correlated with the growth, development, and nicotine synthesis of FCT. An appropriate transplanting time is imperative for ensuring high-quality tobaccos. Hence, a 15N tracing experiment in the field (which included three treatments: FCT seedlings transplanted on 5th, 15th, and 25th May) was carried out to evaluate the […]

Abstract Plant health and nutrition are strongly influenced by the availability of water. The objective of this study was to evaluate the different patterns of initial growth and nutritional efficiency of ten drought-stressed Eucalyptus clones. Water stress conditions were induced by osmotic stress, by gradual addition of polyethylene glycol 6000 over a 20-day period. Drought stress significantly reduced the dry matter of leaves, roots, and the whole plant as well as the nutritional efficiency of most clones. Clone PL040 was […]

ABSTRACT High nitrogen (N) losses by ammonia (NH3) volatilization from urea can compromise nitrogen fertilization efficiency and corn yield. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of irrigation management and the addition of the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) on NH3-N losses from urea and on corn yield. To this end, two experiments were carried out in the 2011/12 crop season on a sandy clay loam Acrisol in the Central Basin region of Rio Grande do Sul, […]

ABSTRACT High winter cereal yields depend on an adequate supply of nitrogen (N). We developed a system for indicating N rates for wheat and barley in the South-Central region of the state of Paraná, Brazil, using results of 72 field experiments conducted from 2007 to 2012. The N rates recommended for winter cereals were estimated to supply the amounts of N fertilizer needed to obtain increasing yields (5.5 Mg ha-1) of crops grown after soybean and corn on soils with […]

ABSTRACT Modern maize, wheat, and soybean cultivars are usually characterized by a short cycle, high shoot-root ratio, and high responsiveness to nutrient input. Continuous no-tillage management (NTS) frequently leads to a steep gradient in soil chemical quality with depth, thus decreasing yield under conditions of acid subsoil and water stress. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of gypsum, applied separately or in combination with lime, on the yield of cultivars used in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, […]