Productive Potential and Economic Viability of Soybeans in Response to Potassium Application

Abstract

The objective of this study was to find the best potassium dose to increase soybean yield, taking into account the economic viability of the crop in the studied region. Sixteen treatments of the interaction between potassium doses (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha^-1) and application times (sowing, vegetative stage (V3), vegetative stage V3 + reproductive stage (R1) and reproductive stage). The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Plant growth and production characteristics were analyzed and a preliminary analysis of variance was applied to check the significance of the interactions for each characteristic by Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). Subsequently, the regression analysis was performed using SAS software (2013). The economic analysis was made using the Monte Carlo methodology (Lima, 2008), and processed with the software @Risk 7 (PALISADE, 2016). Potassium fertilization was positive with increase in yield, but there was no direct relation with the application period. The 109 KCl ha^-1 dose provided greater economic viability in soybean cultivation.