GYPSUM AND PHOSPHORUS IN IMPROVING BIOMETRIC AND NUTRITIONAL ATTRIBUTES OF SOYBEAN/SECOND SEASON CORN SUCCESSION

Abstract

ABSTRACT The objective with this work was to evaluate the effect of the agricultural gypsum, associated with phosphate fertilization, on the nutrition, development and yield of soybean and corn in succession, under no-tillage system. The experiment was conducted at Universidade Federal de Goiás, Regional Jataí, in a randomized blocks design 5x3 factorial arrangement, with 4 replicates. The first factor consisted of the gypsum doses (0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 Mg ha-1) and the second the phosphorus doses (0, 50 and 100% of the recommended dose). Leaf nutrient contents, leaf area index, SPAD index, dry plant mass, final plant population, one thousand grain mass and grain yield were evaluated in the crops. In the soybean, the number of pods was also obtained and in the corn the average ear length, number of rows per ear, number of grain per ear and number of ears. Phosphorus doses increase leaf Mg contents in soybean and corn. The application of gypsum reduces the Mg and K leaf contents and increases the Ca, S, and Mn contents in the two cultures. Gypsum provides increases in the SPAD index in soybean plants. The unbalance of the N / K ratio in corn leaves, provided by the increase of the gypsum doses, reduces the leaf area of this crop. Doses of P and gypsum do not influence the yield of soybeans and maize.