Sufficiency ranges and seasonal DRIS: optimizing nutritional management for black pepper

The lack of regional and seasonal sufficiency ranges and Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) norms for black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) can lead to inaccurate nutritional diagnoses and inefficient fertilization. This study established soil and foliar sufficiency ranges and DRIS norms for the Bragantina variety in Espírito Santo, Brazil, for March and September. Twenty-six commercial, high-yield crops were evaluated for leaf and soil macro- and micronutrient concentrations, with normality tested by the Lilliefors test (1%) and differences between nutrient ratios assessed by ANOVA (F-test) using Sisvar 5.6. Of 110 leaf ratios, 61 were similar (p ≤ 0.05) between periods and 49 differed; among 156 soil ratios, 64.5% showed high variability (CV > 50%). These results show that nutritional indices change substantially with sampling season, reinforcing the need for region- and season-specific standards. The proposed standards give growers and technicians a practical reference for diagnosing nutrient deficiencies or excesses and adjusting fertilization separately for summer and winter, with potential to improve yield and reduce costs.