The nutritional demand of pineapple plants is higher than for other crops and IT depends on cultivar, fruit weight, production destination and planting density and cultivation system. However, the variation in these factors is not always taken into account in fertilization tables. The purpose of this study was to propose a fertilizer and lime recommendation system for pineapple designated FERTCALC-Abacaxi, based on systematization and modeling of literature data and the current knowledge concerning fertilization and mineral nutrition of the crop. FERTCALC-Abacaxi is based on the nutritional balance method and is divided into two subsystems: the requirement subsystem that contemplates the plant demand, considering the efficiency of recovery of the applied nutrients and a dose to meet the requirement "sustainability"; and the supply subsystem that comprises the nutrient supply by liming, soil, organic matter, and by organic residues. Simulations with FERTCALC-Abacaxi showed that the System recommends higher doses for the Pérola cv., than for Smooth Cayenne, for denser planting systems and to obtain heavier fruits; and differently from the tables, it varied continuously with the expected productivity and soil nutrient contents, being higher in the first than in the second growing cycle. In view of the higher number of factors taken into consideration that reflect the response of the crop to fertilization, for example the expected yield, cultivar, fruit weight, planting density and system, besides taking into account the contribution of organic residues from the previous cycle, the FERTCALC- Abacaxi represents a more versatile alternative for fertilizer and lime recommendation for the pineapple crop. However, improvements in future versions of the System as well as its validation under practical conditions are necessary.
Ananas comosus; fertilization recommendation; modelling; nutritional balance
