Effects of Potassium Application and Straw Returning on Potassium Management and Benefit of Banana

Highlights The application effect of potash fertilizer and straw returning on banana orchard was studied by field experiment. Potassium fertilizer with straw was more conductive to the balance of potassium nutrient and improved the yield and quality of banana. The economic benefits of straw to replace different amounts of potassium fertilizer under different potassium treatments were compared. Abstract. In order to explore the effect of potash fertilizer and straw returning to banana orchards, a field experiment was carried out, and four treatments: NP fertilizer (NP), NP fertilizer and banana straw (NP+St), NPK fertilizer (NPK), and NPK fertilizer and banana straw (NPK+St) were set up. Through the soil potassium balance, the effects of potash fertilizer and straw returning on the yield, quality and economic benefits of bananas were studied. The results showed that the application of potash fertilizer and straw could improve the banana yield. Compared with NP treatment, the banana yields of NP+St, NPK, and NPK+St Treatments all increased by 17.5%, 50.5%, and 71.6%, respectively. The order of banana yield, potassium balance coefficient and nutrient accumulation was NPK+St>NP+St> NPK > NP. The NPK+St Treatment also improved the recovery rate and agronomic utilization rate of potash fertilizer, which were higher than that of pure potassium application or pure straw treatment. In addition, potassium application with straw could not only improve banana yield and increase the total accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but also improve the efficiency of potash fertilizer uptake by the crops. Therefore, this study makes full use of the importance of straw to maintain the soil potassium balance. The input cost of potassium fertilizer was reduced and the resource utilization of banana straw was realized by straw returning, which can be promoted in local agricultural production.