Potential nutrient-response curves and sufficiency ranges of ‘Grande Naine’ banana cultivated in two environment

Abstract Adequate plant nutrition is essential to attain higher yields. The objective was to determine potential-nutrient response curves and sufficiency ranges using the boundary line approach and balance indices of Kenworthy for interpreting the nutritional status of ‘Grand Nain’ banana cultivated in two environments. The study was carried out using a database containing leaf nutrient concentrations and yields of bananas cultivated on two areas located in Missão Velha-CE, and Ponto Novo-BA, Brazil. Plots with high-yielding plants, which were those with yields above average plus 0.5 standard deviation, were used atem as reference population. The database was subdivided into two sets. One of them contained 46 leaf tissue samples and reference population with yield greater than 58.84 Mg ha-1 year-1, in Missão Velha-CE. The second data set contained 19 samples and reference population with yield greater than 76.12 Mg ha-1 year-1 in Ponto Novo-BA. Potential response curves were fitted to the relationship between relative yield and leaf element concentrations and balance indices of Kenworthy. Models expressed high predictive power. Sufficiency ranges for macro- and micronutrient concentrations and balance indices of Kenworthy were established. The ranges allow an improved nutritional status assessment of irrigated ‘Grand Nain’ bananas.