Gypsum recommendations for a typical Dystrophic Red Argisol cropped with Phaseolus vulgaris

ABSTRACT Paraná leads the Brazilian production of beans so that the cultivation system can restrain the root development of the plants. Limestone and agricultural gypsum can be alternatives to stimulate the development of roots, and it is necessary to establish criteria for their use. The objective of this work was to evaluate the development of bean plants subjected to liming and gypsum doses in a typical Dystrophic Red Argisol. The experiment was carried out in Umuarama, state of Paraná in PVC tubes (80 x 15 cm), growing Phaseolus vulgaris cultivar Pérola for 90 days. Treatments consisted of gypsum doses (0, 420, 670, 950, 1140, 1430, 3000, and 5320 kg ha-1) combined or not with lime application, in a factorial design (8 x 2) with four replications. At the end of the cycle, the aerial part of the plants and soil samples were collected for analysis. Gypsum doses benefited bean development, especially when associated with liming, which raised pH, Ca+2, and Mg+2 and reduced Al+3 in the soil. The doses of maximum technical efficiency of gypsum were 3291 and 2991 kg ha-1 for the treatments with and without liming, respectively, also increasing the Ca+2 and available P concentration in the soil.