Recovery of Degraded Urochloa Pasture: Effects of Polyhalite on Dry Mass Accumulation and Macronutrient Dynamics
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Grasslands cover more than 25% of the Earth’s surface and play essential ecological roles, such as forage production, supporting pollinators, and carbon sequestration. This study aimed to evaluate the recovery of a degraded pasture of Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk through aerial dry mass production, plant height, and foliar macronutrients concentration and uptake after fertilization with polyhalite. The experiment was carried out at the Teaching, Research, and Extension Farm of the School of Agrarian and Technological Sciences, UNESP—Dracena Campus, in a dystrophic red–yellow latosol soil. A randomized block design with four replications was used. The treatments included the following: (T1) control, (T2) N + P + liming, (T3) T2 + 30 kg ha−1 K2O (polyhalite), (T4) T2 + 60 kg ha−1 K2O (polyhalite), (T5) T2 + 60 (30 + 30) kg ha−1 K2O (polyhalite), and (T6) 60 kg ha−1 K2O (polyhalite). The treatment with N + P + liming + 60 kg ha−1 K2O (polyhalite) resulted in 93% more dry mass production when compared with the control treatment. This treatment was most effective for grassland recovery, whereas polyhalite alone was ineffective. Tissue N and S concentrations increased as a result of the addition of N + P + liming + 60 kg ha−1 K2O (polyhalite).
Source: Agronomy
Language: English
Subfield: Forestry
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Life on land, Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
Award: G29316538
OpenAlex ID: W4414612038