Desempenho do algodoeiro sob fontes e doses de nitrogênio nas condições do Cerrado piauiense

Abstract

Cotton is of great economic importance to Brazil, especially in the Cerrado region, where proper nutritional management is fundamental to achieving high yields. Among essential nutrients, nitrogen stands out due to its direct influence on vegetative growth and reproductive development of the crop. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate biometric characteristics of cotton under different doses and sources of nitrogen fertilization under the conditions of the Cerrado of Piauí. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a completely randomized design, arranged in a two × three factorial scheme, 100, 120 e 140 kg ha-1 with five replications. Treatments consisted of the application of two nitrogen sources, urea and ammonium sulfate, combined with three nitrogen rates. Plant height, stem diameter, number of bolls, shoot dry mass, and root dry mass were evaluated. The data were subjected to statistical analysis with comparison of means. The results indicated no statistically significant differences between the nitrogen sources and rates for the evaluated biometric variables. The nitrogen rate recommended for the Cerrado region proved sufficient to promote vegetative development of the crop, with no additional gains from increasing the rate. It is concluded that, under the experimental conditions, the evaluated sources showed equivalent performance, and increasing nitrogen fertilization did not improve cotton growth