Common bean responses to leaf biofertilizer application

Abstract

In recent years there has been a great proliferation of foliar liquid fertilizer in the agricultural market. Many of these products that are commonly used for organic farming can be produced at the farms. The
aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of leaf biofertilizers application on the growth and grain yield of common bean. This study was carried out in Western Santa Catarina, Brazil, on a clayey Oxisol (Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico típico), under no tillage system, from 2001 to 2003. Five leaf biofertilizers (Super Magro, Biosol, Leader, home made urea and cow urine) treatments were sprayed on common bean at three times (21, 35
and 49 days after plant emergence), at the concentration of 1% to 5%. Leaf fertilizing had no significant effect on bean grain yield when organic fertilizer (poultry house litter) was applied before seeding. The positive effects of leaf fertilizing on bean productivity were only evident when no poultry house litter was applied to the soil before
seeding.