Macronutrient Fertilization on the Yield Components and Nutrition of Lima Bean

Abstract

Lima bean stands out in the agricultural sector as a source of income for small and medium farmers, being an important protein source for the population. However, there few studies related to the adequate management of fertilization that subsidize the maximization of crop production. In this context, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of macronutrient doses on the yield components and nutritional status of lima bean. The treatments were chosed based on the statistical arrangement of the Baconian method. Six nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur) were applied in three different doses along with two additional treatments, one with reference doses and the other with no addition of nutrients, totaling 20 treatments that were arranged in a completely randomized design with four replications. The pod length, pod number per plant, pod weight, number of grains per pod, number of grains per plant, grain weight per plant and macronutrient leaf contents were evaluated. The addition of macronutrients leads to increases in yield components and nutritional status of lima bean s when cultivated in Entisol Quartzipsamment. The doses of macronutrients that promote higher productive yield and adequately supply the nutritional needs of lima beans are: 25 mg N dm-3; 157 mg P2O5 dm-3; 90 mg K2O dm-3; 1.27 cmolc Ca dm-3; 0.50 cmolc Mg dm-3 and 30 mg S dm-3.