Qualidade de frutos do coqueiro-anão verde fertirrigado com nitrogênio e potássio Fruits quality of green dwarf coconut fertirrigation with nitrogen and potassium

Em um pomar de coqueiro-anão verde (Cocos nucifera L.) com três anos de idade, um experimento de campo foi desenvolvido no período de abril/2000 a maio/2002, em Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, para avaliar os efeitos do nitrogênio e do potássio aplicados via fertirrigação sobre o peso médio dos frutos, o volume, o pH, o teor de sólidos solúveis e a condutividade elétrica da água de coco. Os tratamentos consistiram da combinação através da matriz experimental de Plan Puebla, de cinco doses de N e cinco doses de K, ambos variando de 135 a 2.565 g planta-1 ano-1. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. As doses de N e K afetaram o peso médio dos frutos, sendo que o maior peso médio, 2,23 kg, foi obtido com as doses de 881,31 g de N planta-1 ano-1 e 1.689,48 g de K planta-1 ano-1 . Também se observou efeito no volume da água de coco para os dois nutrientes. A dose de máxima eficiência física foi 818,94 g de N planta-1 ano-1 e 1.487,38 g de K planta-1 ano-1, atingindo 417,81mL de volume. Apenas as doses de K influíram no pH da água de coco. As doses de N e K aplicadas afetaram o teor de sólidos solúveis da água de coco de maneira linear, decrescente e crescente, respectivamente. As doses de N tiveram efeito linear decrescente, e as doses de K, efeito quadrático sobre a condutividade elétrica da água de coco.<br>Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of fertirrigation using nitrogen and potassium on the average weight of coconut and pH, soluble solids content, volume and electrical conductivity of coconut water. The experiment was carried out in a three-year old experimental field of green dwarf coconut (Cocos nucifera) located at Parnamirim, RN between April 2000 and May 2002. A Plan Puebla matrix was used in order to generate experimental groups with different combinations of nitrogen and potassium concentrations within a range of 135 g plant-1 year-1 to 2565 g plant-1 year-1. The statistical design consisted of randomized blocks with four replications. Nitrogen and potassium levels affected the average weight of coconut. The highest weight (2.23 kg) was reached when 881 g of nitrogen plant-1 year-1 and 1689 g of potassium plant-1 year-1 were used. Coconut water volume was also affected by both nutrients, since the maximum volume observed (417.75 mL) was found when 818 g of nitrogen plant-1 year-1 and 1487 g of potassium plant-1 year-1 were tested. Nitrogen and potassium levels also demonstrated a linear effect on the soluble solids content of coconut water, where nitrogen had a negative and potassium a positive effect on it. A negative linear effect was observed between nitrogen concentration and electrical conductivity of coconut water, while it was observed that potassium levels showed a quadratic effect on this same parameter.