Eggplant yield in response to potassium fertilization on sandy soil

• Published in: HortScience Vol. 28; no. 10; pp. 1002 - 1005
• Main Authors: Hochmuth, G.J, Hochmuth, R.C, Donley, M.E, Hanlon, E.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandria, VA American Society for Horticultural Science 01.10.1993
• Subjects: ABONOS; ABONOS POTASICOS; ABSORCION DE SUSTANCIAS NUTRITIVAS; ABSORPTION DE SUBSTANCES NUTRITIVES; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; ANALISIS DEL SUELO; ANALYSE DE SOL; Biological and medical sciences; ENGRAIS; ENGRAIS POTASSIQUE; ETAPAS DE DESARROLLO DE LA PLANTA; EXIGENCE DES PLANTES; FLORIDA; FLORIDE; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; INDICE DE CRECIMIENTO; NECESIDADES DE LAS PLANTAS; Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium fertilizations; Potassium fertilization; RENDEMENT DES CULTURES; RENDIMIENTO DE CULTIVOS; SAVIA; SEVE; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; SOL SABLEUX; SOLANUM MELONGENA; STADE DE DEVELOPPEMENT VEGETAL; SUELO ARENOSO; TAUX DE CROISSANCE; Macronutrient(mineral); Field crop; Solanum melongena; Application time; Potassium fertilization; Sandy soil; Inorganic element; Dose activity relation; Nutrient requirement; Potash fertilizer; Soil testing; Vegetable crop; Mineral fertilization; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Yield; Solanaceae; Potassium
• ISSN: 0018-5345; 2327-9834
• DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI.28.10.1002

'Classic' eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) responses to K fertilization were evaluated in Spring and Fall 1991 at Live Oak, Fla., on soils testing low in Mehlich-1 extractable K. Total season yield leveled off at 51.1 t-ha-1 with 94 kg K/ha fertilization in spring and at 53.3 t.ha-1 with 60 kg K/ha in fall. Critical K concentrations (in grams per kilogram) in whole leaves were approximately 45 at first flowering, 35 at early fruiting, 30 during harvest, and 28 at the end of seven harvests. Fresh petiole-sap K critical concentrations (in milligrams per liter) were approximately 4500 to 5000 before harvest and 4000 to 4500 during harvest. Less than 3500 mg K/liter in fresh sap indicated K deficiency in fruiting plants. The Mehlich-1 soil extractant procedure predicted similar responses at the two sites; however, yield responses showed that the two sites differed in fertilization requirements. Fertilizer recommendations for K at both sites exceeded eggplant K requirements