Cotton nutrition and growth in a latosol under different vegetable covers and liming management

Cotton tree (Gossiphium hirsuntum L.) is very susceptible to aluminum toxicity, demanding the soil acidity correction. The management of liming in no tillage and minimum tillage systems, with the presence of straw in the soil surface, is little studied for this crop. The nutritional status and the cotton dry matter production were evaluated in function of liming methods in a latosol (Oxisol) under different previous vegetable covers (forest, eucalyptus, pine and pasture). The experiment was carried out in greenhouse conditions during 45 days, and the treatments evaluated consisted of the combination of four liming methods (wihout lime - WL; surface liming - SL; liming at 0-10 cm soil depth - L10; liming at 0-20 cm soil depth - 1-20) with four latosol vegetable covers. The contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn were evaluated in the cotton plants and root and aerial part dry matter of this crop. Surface liming and the incorporation of liming at 0-10 cm soil layer caused an overliming in the 0-5 cm soil depth. The use of liming increased the extraction of most of nutrients analyzed and the production of cotton root and aerial part dry matter. The highest dry matter production was observed when lime was incorporated to the soil. The biggest productions of dry matter were observed in the areas where the lime was incorporated to the soil. In the area already cultivated (pasture), the application of liming on the soil surface allows to reach similar dry matter as that one verified in the soil where soil acidity correction was done in all arable layer.