Efecto de la fertilización en el crecimiento y desarrollo del cultivo de la avena (Avena sativa) Effect of fertilization on the growth and development of the oat crop (Avena sativa)

The effect of fertilization practices on crop productivity and the management of the soil resources has been a key focus of research in sustainable agriculture and global change. For this reason, the current experiment was conducted in order to determine the effect of organic and chemical (inorganic) fertilization on the oat crop (Avena sativa var. Cayuse) under field conditions. For such purpose, a completely randomized design was implemented. Different combinations of organic and inorganic fertilizers were applied (100% organic; 75% organic and 25% inorganic, 25% organic and 75% inorganic, 100% inorganic and a non-fertilized control) and their effects on growth and development were observed. The combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers did not show significant differences for biomass, yield, leaf area index and crop growth rate compared with the plants that received 100% inorganic fertilizer. It is concluded that the combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers represents a reliable alternative in the short term to satisfy the nutritional requirements of forage oat crop based on the evaluated variables.