ESTABLISHMENT OF CORRECTIVE ZINC FERTILIZATION IN SOYBEAN CROP: PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS AND CRITICAL LEVELS IN SOIL AND LEAF

• Grant number: 25/02596-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Renato de Mello Prado
• Grantee: João Victor da Silva Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Tropical soils often have low zinc (Zn) availability, which limits crop productivity in Brazil. This element is commonly applied, but most studies have focused on foliar or furrow application, which has virtually no residual effect on subsequent crops. Critical Zn levels for corrective fertilization in transgenic soybean crops are still unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the residual effects of zinc application to the soil on soil chemical attributes, physiology, and soybean crop nutrition in two harvests. The experiment is being carried out in the field using a randomized block design, with five Zn doses (0, 12, 24, 48, and 96 kg ha¿¹) and four replicates. This fertilization was carried out in the 2023 corn second crop, and this project will evaluate the 2025/2025 (ongoing) and 2025/2026 harvests. Critical levels (deficiency and toxicity) for Zn in the soil and leaves of soybean crops will be established. It is expected to prove that corrective fertilization with zinc sulfate in clayey soils is an efficient and sustainable strategy, with a residual effect of more than two years, reducing the need for annual applications and promoting the economically and environmentally appropriate management of this micronutrient. (AU)