title: Efficiency of boron application in an Oxisol cultivated with banana in the Central Amazon.
abstract: In the Amazon region, there is no information on the fertilization of banana plants with boron (B). Besides this, the extractant (hot water) currently used to test B concentrations has many limitations. The aim of this work was to study the effect of B on the fruit yield and quality of banana plants of the Cavendish (AAA) sub-group, grown in dystrophic Yellow Latosol (Oxisol or Xanthic Ferralsol), in the Amazonas State, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized split plot in a 4 x 2 factorial scheme, composed of four B rates (0, 4, 8 and 12 kg ha-1) and two harvest cycles (sub-treatments), with four replicates. The B availability in the soil was determined by three extractants: Mehlich 3, hot water and KCl 1.0 mol L-1. The application of B influences the fruit yield, pulp/peel ratio, pulp resistance and B content in the leaves and fruits. The KCl 1.0 mol L-1 extractant was similar to the hot water in the evaluation of available B. To obtain maximum yield, it is necessary to apply 4.1 and 6.1 kg ha-1 of B in the first and second cycles, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental, Manaus, AM, Brasil. adonis.moreira@cpaa.embrapa.br
authors.forename: Adônis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.forename: Nand K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Fageria
mesh_terms: D001895:Boron / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001938:Brazil; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D005308:Fertilizers; D028521:Musa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D001895:Boron