Establishment of DRIS and CND Standards for Fertigated ‘Prata’ Banana in the Northeast, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this study was to establish nutritional standards for fertigated ‘Prata’ banana in the Northeast, Brazil, using the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) and Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND). The study was carried out in partnership with the company Sítio Barreiras Fruticultura LTDA., located in the municipality of Missão Velha, Ceará, Brazil. A database containing information on fruit yield and contents of nutrients, sodium, and aluminum in leaves, comprising the period from 2010 to 2018, was used. The results show a relationship of the mean nutrient balance index (NBIm) and the nutrient imbalance index (CND-r2) with yield. The DRIS and CND methods were effective in diagnosing the nutritional status of the banana tree; however, the CND method proved to be superior in explaining the variation in yield as a function of nutritional balance. The sufficiency ranges established from the DRIS and CND indices are similar to each other and differ from those obtained in other countries and regions. The adoption of these nutritional norms obtained in this work allows the rational use of applied fertilizers and higher yields.