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Response of 'Hass' avocado under different nitrogen and potassium fertilizer regimes in subtropical Ecuador

Abstract:

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is one of the major fruit crops in Ecuador due to its export potential and accumulating global demand. 'Hass' variety plantations are grown locally, hence it is necessary to generate technologies that optimize the fertilization management of this fruit crop. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of two levels of nitrogen (N) and two levels of potassium (K) applied by fertigation during avocado growth. The doses tested were: 200 and 300 kg ha-1 of N and 250 and 350 kg ha-1 of K. A completely randomized design was used, each grafted plant was considered as a replication, and each treatment included a total of 36 plants. At 431 days after the first year of growing, it was observed that the interaction of the lowest dose of N (200 kg ha-1) combined with any of the doses of K applied, led to the highest plant height, rootstock diameter and graft diameter. In relation to the absorption of nutrients by the plant, the interaction of the high doses of both elements was accompanied with the highest concentration of K, B and Zn in the leaf tissue. These results indicated that the applied dose of N influences the absorption of other nutrients in the plant. On the other hand, the establishment of adequate N/K ratios contributes to the optimal management of plant nutrition; in this study, the interaction of the low doses of both nutrients (200 kg ha-1 of N and 250 kg ha-1 of K) positively influenced in the vegetative growth of avocado during its growth phase. Consequently, the results of this research can be used to develop fertilization programs in new avocado plantations in Ecuador.