ABSTRACT

Evaluation of fertilizers is an important premise, given the need for knowing new alternative sources to increase the efficiency in the use of nutrients, especially phosphorus. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth of millet cultivated in sandy soil under phosphorus doses and sources. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, in Sobral, CE, in soil with low phosphorus concentration in the randomized block experimental design, with two sources (monoammonium phosphate - MAP and organomineral fertilizer prepared with MAP and organic compost of waste from small ruminant production - OMF) and four doses of P₂O₅ (35, 70, 140 and 210 kg ha^-1), plus an additional treatment without phosphate fertilization, with three replicates, conducted in the second half of 2015. The variables measured were dry mass production, phosphorus accumulation in the plant and agronomic, physiological and recovery efficiencies. Evaluations were carried out in two cuts in millet plants(65 and 110 days after germination). The data were subjected to analysis of variance, followed by t-test for the sources and regression analysis for the doses, in addition to the Dunnett’s test to compare the phosphate fertilization with the control. In the first cut, it was observed that even at low doses of P₂O₅ (35 kg ha^-1of P₂O₅), the biomass increases compared to the control. Increment in phosphorus doses increased the accumulation of this nutrient in millet plants. Considering the total accumulated in the two cuts of millet, the organomineral fertilizer promoted higher nutrient content compared to monoammonium phosphate from 127 kg ha^-1 of P₂O₅.

Key words:
Pennisetum glaucum; animal waste; small ruminants