Slow-release stabilized nitrogen fertilizers on initial development and nutrition of coffee plants (Coffea arabica L.)

Abstract

Currently there is interest in aggregating technology to fertilizers in order to increase their efficiency. A good example is the use of slow and steady release nitrogen fertilizers. This study was conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate the efficiency of stabilized, slowrelease nitrogen sources in the early development and nutrition of coffee plants (Coffea arabica L.). The treatments followed a factorial 6 × 3 being: six nitrogen fertilizer sources (conventional urea-CU; ammonium nitrate-AN; elemental sulfur coated urea-US; elemental sulfur coated urea and polymer-USP; urea combined with organic material-UO, and UO + NBPT-UO NBPT); three application times, with four replications. The experiment was conducted for 150 days and the aerial part dry mass production (APDM), that of the leaf (LDM), plus the foliar N concentration and content were evaluated. The use of stabilized slow-release N fertilizers influenced (APDM) and (LDM) production as well as the foliar N concentration and content in coffee plants. The N content in the leaves followed the order: UO NBPT <UO <USP <US < AN <CU, contrary to the beneficial effects regarding N availability of fertilizers with associated technology in relation to the conventional source-Urea.