CRESCIMENTO INICIAL DA PIMENTEIRA-DO-REINO SOB DIFERENTES DOSES DE ADUBAÇÃO NPK EM AMBIENTE AMAZÔNICO

Abstract

Black pepper is a plant of great economic importance, especially in the states of Pará and Espirito Santo, with Brazil being one of the largest black pepper producing countries in the world. In the Baião region of Pará, pepper growing is the main source of income for farmers. Due to the few studies related to the nutritional and water demands for the initial growth of black pepper, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different doses of NPK on the initial development of black pepper under two soil water regimes: excess and deficit. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted in Baião-PA, using a randomized block design (RBD), with treatments formed from four increasing doses of NPK fertilizer (T01 = 50%, T02 = 75%, T03 = 100% and T04 = 150%). The following morphological parameters were analyzed: plant height, stem diameter and development characteristics of orthotropic branches (number, length and diameter). The results indicated that, in excess water, moderate to high doses of NPK favored growth in height, stem diameter and branch diameter, although the greatest length of orthotropic branches occurred with the lowest dose applied. Under water deficit conditions, the lowest dose of NPK resulted in greater heights and stem diameter, while high doses promoted an increase in the length and diameter of orthotropic branches. Thus, it was concluded that in conditions of excess water in the soil, there are increases in plant height and in the diameters of the stem and orthotropic branches with high doses of NPK fertilizers in the black pepper crop. On the other hand, the use of low doses, in periods of water deficit, conditions better initial morphological characteristics to the plants, while high doses contribute to the better development of orthotropic branches.

 Keywords: Piper nigrum L.; pipericulture; water balance; plant nutrition