The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effect of different doses of N, P and K, in a soil with and without limestone, on dry matter and essential oil production of long pepper (Piper hispidinervum C. DC.). The randomized blocks design was used, with three replications, where the treatments were set up on a 3 x 3 x 3 factorial arrangement, with three doses of N (0, 8 and 16 g/plant of N), P (0, 5 and 10 g/plant of P2O5) and K (0, 5 and 10 g/plant of K2O). At six and twelve months after transplantation, dry matter of branches plus leaves and essential oil total production were evaluated. The P doses improved a quadratic effect on the production of dry matter, with maximum response obtained with 7.1 and 9.6 g/plant of P2O5, on limestoned and non-limestoned soil, respectively. At the non-limestoned soil, the N doses had a quadratic effect on dry matter and essential oil yield, with maximum points of 10.2 and 9.4 g/plant of N, respectively. P was the nutrient that had the most emphasized effect upon the increase of dry matter. Average production of dry matter and essential oil were higher in limestoned soil (6,451 kg/ha e 167 L/ha, respectively) than in non-limestoned soil (5,003 kg/ha and 145 L/ha).
Piper hispidinervum; nutrient uptake; nitrogen; phosphorus; piperaceae
