Nutrient cycling in the cacao ecosystem: rain and throughfall as nutrient sources for the soil and the cacao tree
Rainwater and throughfall water were evaluated nutrient sources for a cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) ecosystems in Ilheús, Bahia, Brazil. Rainwater was collected for 35 months in a open area. Throughfall was collected on shaded and unshaded cacao plots. The shade trees were Erythrina and some species of Ficus. In evaluating the results, the agricultural year was subdivided into winter (April-September) and summer (October-March). It was found that the concentrations of N, P, K, Ca and Mg, in both rainwater and throughfall varied between and for periods within years. The nutrient concentrations in the throughfall also varied with the presence or absence of shade trees in the cacao plantation. The rainwater contributions of N, Ca, Mg, K, and P reached averages of 43, 21, 9, 9 and nearly 1 kg ha exponent -1 year exponent -1, respectively. The averages of annual throughfall recycling to the soil in the unshaded and shaded plots, respectively, were 141 and 47 kg K ha exponent -1, 28.4 and 21 kg Ca ha exponent -1, 21 and 12.2 kg Mg ha exponent -1, and 13 and 8 kg P ha exponent -1. The throughfall K and P appears to be rapidly absorbed by the cacao roots, whilst most of the Mg, Ca, and N are retained in the soil. The throughfall and leaf fall constitute the most important nutrient recycling processes in the cacao ecosystem, which appears to be self-sufficient in terms of its nutrient requirements.
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Published: |
Amsterdam, (Países Bajos): ELSEVIER,
1990
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| Subjects: | THEOBROMA CACAO, ABSORCION, ECOSISTEMA, LLUVIA, NUTRIENTES, SUELO, FERTILIDAD DEL SUELO, SOMBRA, PLANTAS DE SOMBRA, ERYTHRINA, FICUS, BRASIL, |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-8809(90)90130-6 |
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