PRODUCTION, DECOMPOSITION AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BANANA LITTERFALL

ABSTRACT The characterization of litterfall in forest and agroforest systems is important to better understand the cycling of nutrients, however, few studies on litterfall of fruit trees, such as banana, are found. Therefore, the objective of this work was assess the production and decomposition and chemically characterize the litterfall of banana genotypes cropped in a dystrophic typical Red-Yellow Latossol, with weak A horizon, medium texture in a hypo-xerophytic Caatinga in the Southwest of Bahia, Brazil. A completely randomized experimental design was used, with twelve treatments (genotypes) and five replications. The genotypes Preciosa, Pacovan-Ken and Maravilha presented the greatest dry weight. The genotype Fhia18 showed the longest half-life of litterfall decomposition. The banana genotypes Preciosa, Maravilha and Pacovan-Ken produce the greatest contents of litterfall, and their chemical characterization shows the descending order Ca>N>Mg>K>S>P for macronutrients and Fe>Mn>B>Zn>Cu for micronutrients. The banana genotypes PV-79-34, Garantida, Pacovan, JV-42-135, Prata-Anã, Pacovan-Ken, Preciosa and Maravilha present the lowest number of days for decomposition of the litterfall accumulated.

摘要：在森林与农林业系统中，凋落物（litterfall）特征解析对深入理解养分循环具有重要意义，但针对香蕉等果树凋落物的相关研究尚少。因此，本研究旨在评估巴西巴伊亚州西南部半旱生卡廷加植被（hypo-xerophytic Caatinga）区、质地中等且A层弱发育的贫养型典型红黄色老成土（Red-Yellow Latossol）中种植的香蕉基因型的凋落物产量与分解特性，并对其凋落物进行化学表征。本研究采用完全随机试验设计，设置12个基因型处理与5次重复。结果显示，基因型Preciosa、Pacovan-Ken与Maravilha的干物重最高；基因型Fhia18的凋落物分解半衰期最长。香蕉基因型Preciosa、Maravilha与Pacovan-Ken的凋落物养分含量最高，其化学特征表明大量元素含量排序为Ca>N>Mg>K>S>P，微量元素含量排序为Fe>Mn>B>Zn>Cu。香蕉基因型PV-79-34、Garantida、Pacovan、JV-42-135、Prata-Anã、Pacovan-Ken、Preciosa与Maravilha的累积凋落物分解耗时最短。