Elementos nutritivos y manejo de la fertilización mineral en el cultivo del café (coffea arabica) en ecuador

Abstract

Coffee cultivation is important for the economy of several countries, among them Ecuador, where excellent quality is obtained in the higher altitude zones. With respect to nutrition, coffee cultivation requires several fundamental nutritional elements, one of the most important requirements is nitrogen and potassium, unlike phosphorus, which is quite low; However, it is no less essential than the previous ones. In general, in three-year coffee plantations, it has been reported that 125 kg of N/ha, 13 kg of P205/ha and 126 kg of K2O/ha need to be applied: 1:10, although the recommendations are general, all fertilization should be carried out prior to a soil analysis. With regard to the other nutrients, the requirements of coffee are lower, with some researchers reporting the application of between 40 and 80 kg/ha of magnesium, 30 to 60 kg/ha of Sulphur, 3 to 6 kg/ha of boron and 5 to 10 kg/ha of zinc. The application of these quantities of fertilizers depends on different factors such as: soil fertility, agronomic management of the crop (phytosanitary control, weed control, yield and water irrigation or rainfall where the plantation is located).