Initial growth of coffee tree based on different sources of phosphorus

Coffee farming have a great economic importance to Brazil, especially in the south of Minas Gerais. For cropping, initial care, such as soil corrective practices aimed at the proper establishment of the crop, is necessary. The definition of the best phosphate source for planting is one these practices. Thus, this study seeks to define the best phosphate source to be used in the implementation of a coffee crop aiming at greater vegetative growth of seedlings in the field. For this, an experiment was set up with coffee seedlings grown in pots; the experimental design was randomized blocks with seven treatments (struvite, monoammonium phosphate, reactive natural phosphate, single superphosphate, triple superphosphate, thermophosphate, and control) and five replications. The cultivar Red Catuaí was used at approximately five months of age. The following evaluations were performed: harvest diameter, plant height, root dry mass, stem dry mass, leaf dry mass, total dry mass, foliar phosphorus content, in addition to the Dickson quality index. There was a significant difference for plant height only for simple superphosphate and control; nevertheless, for harvest diameter and stem dry matter, the best results were observed with reactive natural phosphate; and for root dry mass and total dry mass, reactive phosphate rock and monoammonium phosphate stood out. These sources also provided the best Dickson quality indexes, indicating they are the best options when it comes to the initial growth of coffee seedlings. Therefore, for coffee planting, the adoption of reactive phosphate rock and monoammonium phosphate is recommended.