Organic and Mineral Fertilizer on the Initial Development and Nutrition of Jatropha

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is an herbaceous plant, perennial, belonging to the family of Euphorbiaceaes. Jatropha’s extract is used for the harvest of fruits, high amount of nutrients and, if not properly fertilized, can lead to the impoverishment of the soil over the years of cultivation. Thus, in this present work, we have a concern with the importance of fertilization. The experiment was conducted under field conditions in the 2014/2015 agricultural year, in São Jorge do Patrocínio, State of Parana, Brazil. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with five replications and five treatments, totaling 25 installments. The treatments were as follows- organic fertilization (total rate- 2,800 g plant-1), mineral fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (total rate- 174.4 g plant-1, and 13.2 g plant-1 of urea, 141.2 g plant-1 of superphosphate and 20 g plant-1 of potassium chloride), 75% organic fertilizer + 25% mineral, 50% organic fertilizer + 50% mineral, 25% organic + 75% mineral, applied at planting. Poultry litter was used as the organic fertilizer source, the nitrogen source was urea, the phosphorus source was superphosphate and, the potassium source was potassium chloride. Spacing of 2 × 2 m between plants and the pits with 30 × 30 × 30 cm. The evaluated variables were- plant height, stem diameter, contents macro and micronutrients in leaves. It can be concluded that there was no influence of mineral and organic fertilization on the initial growth of jatropha. As for the macronutrient levels, there were no significant differences for P and K. However, regarding the mineral fertilizer and the micronutrient content, there was a significant difference in Mn, in the treatment with total rate of mineral fertilizer and in the treatment with 25% organic fertilizer and 75% mineral fertilizer.