The capacity of calcareous Vertisol to supply nutrients for the growth of rice plants was studied. The method of subtraction diagnostic was adopted in this study. A completely randomized experimental design with nine treatments (complete, control, minus P, minus S, minus B, minus Cu, minus Fe, minus Mn and minus Zn) and three replicates were used. The amount of the dry matter of the rice was ranked in the following decreasing order of treatments: complete, minus Cu, minus Fe, minus B, minus Mn, minus S, control, minus P and minus Zn. The minus P and minus Zn treatments reduced the rice production. The analysis of the nutrients, together with the weight of the dry matter of rice, showed that there was a strong interaction between Fe and Mn and between P and Zn.
