ABSTRACT
The lack of information on mate plants (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) and the necessity to better understand its nutritional aspects stimulated the conduction of this study. The objectives were to verify the response of mate to mineral N, P and K and to organic fertilization supplied by poultry manure, and also to estimate nutrient rate which allow higher yield of mate plants, cultivated in a HAPLORTHOX. The experiment was carried out in Marechal Bormann, Chapecó country, SC, Brazil. The treatments consisted of annual applications of 0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 g of N; 0, 25, 75, 100 and 125 g of P2O5 and K2O per plant and 0, 1,5, 3,0 and 4,5 kg of poultry manure (dry matter) per plant. When different rates of N, P and K were applied, the other two nutrients rate were 50 g per plant. It was evaluated the content of leaves macro and micronutrients, mate yield in five economic pruning and content of soil P and K. The content of macro and micronutrients in leaves were inside of a normal range for these plants. There was no significant response to added P; however, there was a strong indication that the best rate is below 25 g P2O5 per plant. There was a significant response to nitrogen fertilization and the maximum technical efficiency was 80,5 g of N per plant per year. The response for poultry manure was linear with higher yield when 4,5 kg per plant was added and mate response to K application was dependent of soil K level.
Key words:
Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.; mineral and organic fertilization; mate.