The objectives of this study were to obtain a reliable index for the evaluation of the S nutrition status in soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merr.] and to identify the critical S level in relation to seed yield and quality. Two Oxisols were used: A‐horizon soil from Serra dos Gerais, and A‐ and B‐horizon soils from Sambaiba in Maranhão State, Brazil. Soybean plants in pots were grown in a greenhouse with the supply of 0 to 80 mg S kg−1 soil. The seed S concentration was a more reliable index of seed yield because of the higher correlation between S concentration and yield. In the plants with visible symptoms of S deficiency, the seeds contained 1.5 g S kg−1, and the seed yield was 60% of the control. Electrophoresis analysis indicated that the critical seed S concentration for deficiency of protein components was 2.0 g kg−1 when the yield was 80% of the control. The S concentration was 2.3 g kg−1 or higher for >90% yield when the composition of the protein components was identical with that in the original seeds obtained under sufficient S fertilization. We classified the S concentration in the seeds as: deficient (S < 1.5 g kg−1), very low (1.5 ≤ S < 2.0 g kg−1), low (2.0 ≤ S < 2.3 g kg−1), and normal (2.3 g kg−1 ≤ S). Because of stable S concentration, easy sampling, and sufficient time for planning of fertilizer application for the subsequent cropping, seed analysis is preferable to leaf analysis.

O experimento foi conduzido com a cultura de girassol, em Latossolo Roxo eutrófico, durante as safras 91/92, 92/93 e 93/94. Avaliou-se o efeito das doses 0; 30; 60 e 90 kg ha-1 de nitrogênio (N) e dos métodos de aplicação deste nutriente 1. incorporado/aiveca (aplicado a lanço e incorporado com arado de aiveca a 30 cm de profundidade antes da semeadura); 2. incorporado/grade (aplicado a lanço e incorporado com grade de disco antes da preparação do leito de semeadura); 3. incorporado/grade/parcelado (30% N aplicado a lanço e incorporado com grade de disco antes da preparação do leito de semeadura e, 30 dias após a emergência das plantas, os 70% de N restantes em cobertura). Foram estudados os efeitos dos tratamentos na produção e peso de 1.000 aquênios, altura de plantas e diâmetro do caule. O fósforo e o potássio foram aplicados na semeadura junto com a adubação nitrogenada. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados com parcelas subdivididas, com as doses nas parcelas e os métodos nas subparcelas e quatro repetições. A área total do experimento foi de 3.528 m2, com a densidade de semeadura equivalente a 42.857 plantas ha-1. A produção de grãos aumentou até a dose de 90 kg ha-1 de N, sendo que a dose econômica foi obtida com 17,5 kg ha-1 de N. As maiores produções e peso de 1.000 aquênios foram alcançados no ano agrícola de 1993/94, enquanto que os maiores valores de altura de plantas e diâmetro do caule ocorreram em 1991/92. Os métodos de aplicação de nitrogênio não influenciaram na produção de grãos. Por outro lado, o maior peso de 1.000 aquênios foi obtido com o método de incorporação do N com grade/parcelado, sendo que, para as demais variáveis, a incorporação com arado de aiveca proporcionou os maiores valores.

Most tropical soils have high acidity and low natural fertility. The appropriate application of lime and cattle manure corrects acidity, improves physical and biological properties, increases soil fertility, and reduces the use of chemical and/or synthetic fertilizers by crops, such as soybean, the main agricultural export product of Brazil. This study aimed to assess the effects of the combination of the application of dolomite limestone (0, 5, and 10 Mg ha −1 ) and cattle manure (0, 40, and 80 Mg ha −1 ) on grain yield and the chemical properties of an Oxisol (Red Latosol) cultivated with soybean for two consecutive years. The maximum grain yield was obtained with the application of 10 Mg ha −1 of lime and 80 Mg ha −1 of cattle manure. Liming significantly increased pH index, the concentrations of calcium (Ca 2+ ) and exchangeable magnesium (Mg 2+ ), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soil and reduced potential acidity (H + + Al 3+ ), while the application of cattle manure increased pH level; the concentrations of potassium (K + ), Ca 2+ , and exchangeable Mg 2+ ; and CEC of the soil. During the 2 years of assessment, the greatest grain yields were obtained with saturation of K + , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ in CEC at the 4.4, 40.4, and 17.5 levels, respectively. The results indicated that the ratios of soil exchangeable Ca/Mg, Ca/K, K/Mg, and K/(Ca+Mg) can be modified to increase the yield of soybean grains.

Para a determinação do acúmulo de microrutrientes em função da idade da planta, instalou-se um experimento em Latossolo Roxo eutrófico, no Centro Nacional de Pesquisas de Soja/ EMBRAPA, Londrina (PR). Foram aplicadas seis doses de adubo NPK, dos quais foram usadas duas para estudar o acúmulo de micronutrientes: 0-0-0 e 90-45-45 kg/ha para a cultivar Con tissol e 0-0-0 e 45-45-45 kg/ha para a cultivar Guayacan. Coletaram-se amostras para análise de 14 em 14dias a partir da emergência. Pode-se concluir: a. o acúmulo máximo de micronutrientes ocorreu aos 88 dias e o ponto de inflexão aos 56 dias após a emergência; b. as quantidades totais absorvidas pelas plantas obedeceu ã ordem: Fe > Mn > B > Zn > Cu; c. a exportação de micronutrientes a través da colheita de grãos segue a ordem: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > B; d. o acúmulo máximo, em g de micronutrientes para uma produção de 1.000 kg de grãos foi: Fe = 933; Mn = 787; B = 383; Zn = 59,3; Cu = 22,8 e B= 12,3.

With the increase in phosphate fertilizer prices, there is a need to find lower-cost alternatives that are as efficient as soluble sources such as single (SSP) and triple superphosphate (TSP). In Brazil's northern and northeastern regions, there are reserves of igneous rocks with low solubility containing high concentrations of total phosphorus (P) that can be used to produce fertilizers, such as thermalphosphates. To assess the efficiency of sources of P and two types of lime on soybean yield, a field experiment was carried out in an area with dystrophic Red Latosol (Oxisol) in a Cerrado region in the southern part of Maranhão State. The experimental design was randomized blocks in a 2 × 3 × 4 factorial scheme, with four replicates. The treatments were two types of lime [calcitic (CL) (<5 dag kg −1 of MgO) and dolomitic (DL) (>13 dag kg −1 of MgO)], three phosphate fertilizer sources [triple superphosphate (TSP), "Yoorin" thermalphosphate (YT), and experimental thermalphosphate (ET)], and four rates of phosphorus pentoxide (P 2 O 5 ; 0, 100, 200, and 300 kg ha −1). After 2 years of cultivation, the application of DL resulted in greater soybean yields than the application of CL. The two lime types influenced the pH, carbon (C), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) concentrations as well as the Ca/Mg, Ca/K, and Mg/K ratios in the soil. With respect to sources of P, the YT applied in the soil with DL produced an agronomic efficiency index (AEI) similar to that of TSP, whereas in the soil with CL, the TSP, YT, and ET were similar, with maximum technical efficiency (MTE) under both conditions starting at 230 kg ha −1 of P 2 O 5. The critical concentration of available phosphorus (P) in the soil (Mehlich-1 extractant) for cultivation of soybean under the climate and soil conditions studied was between 5.0 and 6.0 mg kg −1 .