Fertilizer recommendations for banana take into consideration the accumulation of nutrients in plants and the amount removed in the bunches, among other factors. Nutrient contents accumulated in plants and removed by bunches of Cavendish bananas in the State of São Paulo (Brazil) were assessed from a data bank of nutrient concentrations (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) in bunches (fruits+peduncle) and bunch weight with 293 samples. Data bank comprises information from plants of Grand Naine and Giant Cavendish cultivars growing in irrigated and non-irrigated areas, with different sources and rates of fertilizers during seven crop cycles. This data came from fertilization experiments accomplished at Planalto Paulista and at the Vale do Ribeira. Potassium was the nutrient most removed by the bunches (182 kg ha¹) followed by N (68 kg ha¹), Mg (10 kg ha¹), P (8 kg ha¹), Ca (6 kg ha¹), S (3 kg ha¹), Mn (191 g ha¹), Fe (147 g ha¹), B (89 g ha¹), Zn (68 g ha¹), and Cu (25 g ha¹) for an average bunch yield of 40 t ha-1. Fertilizer recommendations for banana in the State of São Paulo underestimate K requirements for plant establishing. The recommended rates of N are higher than N removal by bunches. The recommendation of P fertilizer is in accordance with plant requirements.
fertilizer recommendation; fruit crops; mineral nutrition; Musa spp
