Growth of banana 'BRS Victoria' with nitrogen and potassium fertilization

Abstract

Banana farming has great socioeconomic importance for Brazil, generating several direct and indirect jobs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of fertilization with nitrogen and potassium on the vegetative growth of 'BRS Vitória'. The work was carried out in the agriculture sector of the Centro de Ciências Humanas, Sociais e Agrárias da Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Bananeiras, Paraíba State, Brazil. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with four replications, with treatments arranged in a factorial scheme as the matrix Plan Plueba III, with five doses of N (15; 90; 150; 210 and 285 g per plant) and five doses of K2O (24; 144; 240; 336 and 456 g per plant). In the analysis of growth were evaluated pseudocaule height, pseudocaule diameter and absolute growth rates of height and diameter of the pseudocaule. The dose of 133.3 g per plant of nitrogen provided a maximum height of 3,7 m for the 'BRS Vitória' banana tree at the inflorescence. The combination of doses of 200 g per nitrogen plant and 312.5 g per potassium plant is recommended for greater vegetative growth of banana 'BRS Vitória'.