Organic, mineral and organomineral fertilization and its influence on the growth of heliconia in Garanhuns, Brazil

Organic, mineral and organomineral fertilization and its influence on the growth of heliconia in Garanhuns, Brazil Heliconia stands out for its beauty and variety of shapes and colors and this plant is among the most traded tropical flowers in the world. We evaluated the growth and development of Heliconia psittacorum x H. spathocircinata cv. Golden Torch, submitted to organic and mineral fertilization. The experiment was carried out in field, in a completely randomized design. The treatments consisted of four doses of fertilizer (control (T1) local soil; cattle manure (T2); mineral fertilizer NPK (T3) and cattle manure + NPK (T4)), in ten replications. We evaluated plant height, number of shoots, flowering time, number, size and weight of inflorescences. The combination of mineral fertilizer (NPK) and organic (manure) (organomineral) significantly affected plant height resulting in an increase of over 23% when compared with the control 330 days after planting date. After six months of cultivation, all plants exhibited a very homogeneous and vigorous growth without visual symptoms of nutrient deficiency, showing that chemical fertilization associated with cattle manure (organomineral) is highly recommended for growing heliconia cv. Golden Torch. This cultivar can be well adapted to the conditions of Garanhuns, Pernambuco state, Brazil.