Fuentes de nitrógeno: dosis y efectos sobre variables agronómicas del cultivo de banano

Abstract

Banana production in the province of El Oro and with greater importance in the cantons of Machala, El Guabo and Pasaje represents one of the fundamental pillars in the economic and social development aspects of the southern region of the country, the banana produced in Ecuador for its organoleptic quality is demanded by European, Asian and American countries, so much so that the production of this fruit represents more than 3% of total GDP and 50% of national agricultural GDP, however, However, just as it generates great income, it also demands important agronomic activities, highlighting plant nutrition as the main responsible for high yields, since banana is one of the crops that extracts the most nutrients from the soil, mainly nitrogen, which is essential for the growth and development of the plant, and many small and medium producers are unaware of the different sources of nitrogen, generating expenses in fertilization cycles with products and doses that do not generate expected yields. Due to the above-mentioned background, the present research was conducted with the objective of evaluating the effect of different formulations of nitrogen fertilizers by measuring variables of growth and yield of banana crop, clone Williams, in the Santa Inés experimental farm of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the Technical University of Machala, located in Machala - Pasaje road at Km 5.5 of the Machala - Pasaje road, in the parish of El Cambio, Machala canton, province of El Oro, Ecuador. The experiment was carried out with a total of 72 plants, 6 plants for each treatment were marked with numbers and in each block the treatment and the repetition were identified. The effect of 4 nitrogen sources such as UREA, SAM, Yarabela Nitrodoble and Yaravera Amidas was evaluated with doses of 1.12 kg, 2.45 kg, 1.91 kg and 1.29 kg respectively. Data were taken for the variables Plant shaft (FM), Return shaft (FH), Plant height (AM), Return height (AH), Second hand finger length (LDSM), Number of hands (NMR), Last hand finger length (LDUM), Cluster weight (PR), Rachis weight (PRQ), Reject weight (PRE), Number of leaves to crops (NHC), Mother plant shaft (FM), Son plant shaft (FH). The data sets of the study variables did not comply with the assumption of data normality, being defined as non-parametric data, which is why the statistical analysis was carried out with non-parametric tests such as the kruskal Wallis anova and the Games Howell post Hoc test, determining the results with greater statistical vigor. The results showed that six of the thirteen study variables accepted the null hypothesis, that is, they did not present significant statistical differences between the means of the nitrogen fertilizers evaluated, since they expressed a P-value greater than the significance level (0.05). In the evaluation of the effect of the nitrogen fertilizers on the yield variables, it was demonstrated that the fertilizers Yarabela Nitrodoble and Yaravera Amidas with doses of 1.91 kg and 1. 29 kg respectively, had the best effect on banana yield, presenting the best results in the following variables: NMR (6.39 and 6.56), PR (48.50 lb and 51.50 lb), NDSM (19.17 and 20.44), NDUM (16.50 and 17.17), LDSM (25.78 cm and 26.17 cm), LDUM (23.50 cm and 23.50 cm) and PRQ (4.60 lb and 5.37 lb). In the evaluation of the effect of nitrogen fertilizers on growth variables, it was found that there were no significant differences between the different nitrogen sources when expressing a P-value greater than the significance level, so that homogeneous vegetative growth was assumed for UREA, SAM, Yarabela Nitrodoble and Yaravera Amidas.