Alternatives in bean fertilization to reduce the application of N-urea

Abstract

As a result of the increasing use of chemical nitrogen fertilizers and their economic and environmental impacts, it is necessary to search for alternative methods to improve soil fertility, such as biological nitrogen fixation and/or alternative supplements of this nutrient. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of inoculation and application of seaweed extract, molybdenum and rock powder, as an alternative to the application of urea, in beans. A randomized blocks design, with three replications, was used. Two common bean cultivars (Pérola and FEPAGRO 26), as well as the following cultivation methods, were used: i) conventional; ii) inoculation with a mixture of three inoculants recommended for bean; iii) inoculation + complementation via seeds, with extracts of the Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed and mineral fertilizer containing rock powder and molybdenum; iv) inoculation + complementation via leaf, using products with extracts of the Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed and mineral fertilizer containing rock powder and molybdenum. The inoculation alone is not enough to reach grain yield levels similar to those reached using the conventional method. The cultivation method with inoculation + complementation via seeds maintains grain yield with the lowest cost, in relation to the conventional method.