Economic analysis of fertilization management in 'Prata-Ana' Gorutuba banana plants

Brazilian banana farming is one of the most important agricultural activities in the national scenario and can be highly productive and economically profitable for producers who invest in technology. The objective of this work was to compare the economic viability of two different fertilization managements in the cultivation system of 1st-cycle 'Prata Ana' Gorutuba bananas. The conventional fertilization treatment (CM), adopted by the producer (control), was compared with the alternative treatment: conventional management + 3 soil conditioners + 1 biostimulant ( CM + 3SC + 1B). The four products selected for the alternative treatment were oyster shell limestone, Celtonite, Lithothamnium calcareum and Acadian. The application of the four products in the CM + 3SC + 1B treatment provided satisfactory results on crop performance, mainly due to the increase of 4.032 tons ha(-1). The CM+3CS+1B alternative management was more economically viable than CM, as the total operational cost (1st + 2nd year) of the alternative management was 6.71% higher compared to the conventional management; however, the alternative treatment productivity was 28.08% higher. The cost to produce one ton of bananas was R$ 2.456,91 in the conventional treatment and R$ 2.047,07 in the alternative treatment, which represents a 16.68% reduction in the average cost, indicating the economic feasibility of this treatment.