Recently, the demand for heart-of-palm has increased in Europe and USA (Clement et al., 1996), leading to Peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) for heart-of-palm production substantial export increases and income receipts. Peach exports relatively low amounts of nutrients from the field and leaves considerable amounts of residue and nutrients on the ground as mulch.palm is intensively cultivated in Oxisols, Ultisols, andThe primary objective of this study was to gain an understanding of Andisols in Central and South America, with pH as residue decomposition and nutrient release patterns of peach palm low as 4.5, high aluminum saturation, and high organic foliage in a mature plantation in Costa Rica. The study was conducted matter contents. It is best suited to well-drained areas within a 16-yr commercial peach palm stand during two typically with rainfall between 2000 and 3000 mm and elevations seasonal wet periods and one typically dry period. The third leaf of between 5 and 700 m above sea level (Clement, 1989). the five leaves cut during harvest of the stem portion were placed in Peach palm for heart-of-palm is planted at spacing of 2 1-mm mesh nylon bags. Bags were placed on the soil surface and by 0.5, 2 by 1, or 2 by 1.5 m (Herrera, 1989; Clement retrieved at 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, and 48 wk. Initial residue N et al., 1996) and starts producing heart-of-palm at about concentrations over the three placement periods ranged from 24.2 to 1 to 1.5 yr after transplanting (Ares et al., 2002; Clement 28.1 g kg Ϫ1 , C to N ratios between 16:1 and 17:1, cellulose from 251 to 325 g kg Ϫ1 , and lignin from 80 to 104 g kg Ϫ1 . There was no effect et al., 1996). A plant unit contains about four stems and of seasonal periods on residue decomposition and N, P, and K release.six to eight suckers (Deenik et al., 2000). On average, Residue decomposition and nutrient release were best fitted by singleevery plant produces 1.5 heart-of-palm per year in Brazil exponential, three-parameter models. The residue decomposition rate compared with three hearts in Costa Rica (Deenik et was 0.1472 wk Ϫ1 while nutrient release rates ranged from 0.0297 to al., 2000). In Hawaii, a 1.3-yr-old stand with 5000 plants 0.2998 wk Ϫ1 . The potentially available nutrient pools in 4-and 8-yr ha Ϫ1 produced from 2 to 7 Mg dry biomass ha Ϫ1 (Clempeach palm stands from a companion experiment ranged on an annual ent, 1995), whereas in Costa Rica, 3-to 5-yr-old plantabasis from 93 to 107 kg N ha Ϫ1 , 14 to 15 kg P ha Ϫ1 , 90 to 116 kg K tions produced from 7.1 to 11.4 Mg standing dry biomass ha Ϫ1 , 19 to 23 kg Ca ha Ϫ1 , and 13 to 14 kg Mg ha Ϫ1 . The relatively ha Ϫ1 (Herrera, 1989). rapid decomposition and nutrient release rates would seem to be Peach palm for heart-of-palm, interestingly, exports ideal for this perennial cropping system where plants are continuously absorbing nutrients during the year to support the growth of offshoots only a small portion of the aboveground biomass and that eventually become harvestable stems.accompanying nutrient...