Agronomic performance of Banana ‘FHIA 18’ in response to phosphate fertilization

Phosphorus (P) use efficiency can be improved for banana ( Musa ssp.) crops. The recommended phosphate fertilization rates can be reduced, depending on the cultivated genotype. The goal of this study was to identify the most appropriate P fertilizer recommendation for the banana cultivar FHIA 18. The rates of P applied in three production cycles were as follows: 0 (without fertilization), 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 kg ha −1 of P 2 O 5 yr −1 . The cultivar FHIA 18 requires an application of 55% of the recommended P fertilization (22 kg ha −1 P 2 O 5 ) in the second and third cultivation cycles to reach maximum growth because of the increased pseudostem diameter. The results showed an increase in available soil P with increasing levels of phosphate fertilizers. Furthermore, the maximum P content in diagnostic leaves was obtained with 90% of the recommended phosphate fertilization rate (36 kg ha −1 of P 2 O 5 yr −1 ). Yield increased with increasing P 2 O 5 levels, reaching a maximum value (62.93 kg −1 plant −1 yr −1 ) with a lower P 2 O 5 level than that recommended for other banana cultivars in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Thus, the cultivar FHIA 18 requires 26 kg ha −1 of P 2 O 5 to reach its maximum yield.