Níveis de fertilidade dos solos do estado de São Paulo para a cultura algodoeira. I- Os teores de fósforo, nitrogênio e potássio

During the years of 1957 through 1960. about 400 experiments for cotton fertilizing were installed in the main districts of exploitation of this malvacea. For some reason or another, only 216 out of these experiments were used for the studies about fertility. The results obtained from the fertilization indicate that the major reaction is for the element phosphorus, in a small scale for the nitrogen and, for potassium, in less than 5% of the whole of the experiments. When studying the contents of phosphorus soluble in H2SO4 0.05 N, it was possible to differentiate two types of rection: one for sandy soils and the other for the clay soils, thus establishing the respective levels of fertility. Another method investigated was that of the oxalic acid + potassium oxalate 1 N as extractor of phosphorus, which did not show adequate to foresee the requirements of phosphorous fertilization. The levels of nitrogen established through this experimentation should be considered as a preliminary attempt, on account of the small number of trials with reaction to nitrogenous fertilization. Due to the small number of trials with reaction to potassium, no indications were possible to be obtained for this element. It was also found that there is a relation between the pH of the soil and the reaction to phosphorous fertilization, lessening its action with the raising of the pH. The experiments as located in the literature, referring to the same soils and utilizing the same extractors, allowed the confirmation of the divulgated fertility levels.