Curvas de absorción de nutrientes en papaya ( Carica papaya L.) cv. “Pococí” en las fases de crecimiento vegetativo, floración e inicio de cosecha

Nutrient absorption curves in papaya (Carica papaya L.) cv. “Pococi” during vegetative growth, flowering and the beginning of the harvest period. In a commercial papaya farm located at Guacimo, Costa Rica, the requirements of nutrients, and the nutrient absorption curves for the Costa Rican high-yielding papaya hybrid “Pococi”, were established. The experiment was carried out in 2010 collecting complete plants, approximately monthly through the phenological cycle of the crop, from transplant until 9 months after wards. It was estimated that the “Pococi” hybrid (1600 plants per hectare) required approximately 354 kg.ha -1 N, 101 kg.ha -1 P 2 O 5 , 498 kg.ha -1 K 2 O, 174 kg.ha -1 CaO, 106 kg.ha -1 MgO and 40 kg.ha -1 S; these required quantities are mostly higher than those that are normally being applied by present fertilization programs in Costa Rica. RESUMEN