The banana tree may have hampered its production if grown in soils with physical restrictions. The aim of this study was to verify if the physical attributes of shallow soils undermine the roots of banana tree plants. The study was conducted in the Apodi Plateau (CE), where soils were compared with two actual depths: shallow (approximately 0.57 m depth, more sandy) and deep (approximately 1.16 m depth, more clayey) and six sampling depths of soil and roots (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50 and 50-60 cm). In the soil samples were determined the following physical attributes: water retention curve, bulk density, porosity, particle size and particle density. The soil resistance to penetration (RP) was assessed in the field using an impact penetrometer with five repetitions at 60 cm depth. To study the roots, samples were collected with a probe, and the washed roots were analyzed through images, being determined: length, area and total volume and diameter classes. The deep soil had higher clay content, higher microporosity and total porosity, which contributed to the higher water retention. Density of soils and particles were higher in two layers of the shallow soil, as well as the RP which reached 5.1 MPa. The roots of banana tree were favored in deep soil in which were found thicker (2.2 to 6.6 mm) and thinner (0.68 to 0.79 mm) roots, contributing to the support of plants and the absorption of water and nutrients.
Root architecture; Musa spp.; irrigated banana plantation; Cambisol
