Optimal fractions of phosphorus fertilizer applied in preplanting and in drip fertigation of tomato crop

Abstract:The objective of this work was to establish the optimal fractions of the total amount of phosphorus to be applied in preplanting and in drip fertigation of determinate-growth tomato, as well as to determine the effect of the different forms of nutrient application on their soil spatial distribution. Treatments consisted of five schemes of fertilizer application: 100, 75, 50, 25, and 0% of P total dose divided between the pre-planting (triple superphosphate in band placement) and the fertigation (phosphoric acid). The experiment was carried out in a clayed Oxisol with two P availability classes - 7.5 and 32.9 mg dm-3 (Mehlich-1). The treatments showed no effect on tomato production variables in the soil with high P availability. However, in the soil with smaller availability of the nutrient, P fertigation showed a quadratic effect on fruit yield, net income, and net rate of return. The best results were obtained with half of the P total dose applied by fertigation. The fertigation allowed P movement in the soil up to 30 cm deep, and horizontal movement up to 15 cm.