Effects of liming on the growth and nutrient concentrations of pitaya species in acidic soils

With the increasing demand for pitaya orchard management information to achieve high productivity and commercial quality fruits, liming practice is fundamental since most Brazilian soils are acidic. This study aims to assess lime requirements of Typic Quartzipisamment and Haplorthox soils to calculate tolerated aluminum saturation, desired base saturation, calcium and magnesium requirements to cultivate two pitaya species; Hylocereus undatus and Hylocereus polyrhizus. Two independent experiments were conducted in a greenhouse, organized in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme. Treatments were distributed in randomized blocks with five replications. Treatments of the first experiment corresponded to H. undatus and H. polyrhizus and four lime requirements, 0; 0.8; 1.2 and 1.7 t ha-1 cultivated in Typic Quartzipisamment. Treatments of the second experiment corresponded to H. undatus and H. polyrhizus and four lime requirements, 0; 1.3; 2.0 and 2.8 t ha-1 cultivated in Haplorthox. Shoot and root dry matter, chemical soil attributes and shoot nutrient concentrations were measured. Regression equations were adjusted for each variable, according to the lime requirements of both soils providing the highest dry matter yield in both pitaya species. H. undatus and H. polyrhizus cultivated in Typic Quartzipisamment produced more dry matter when the aluminum saturation was between 13% and 16%, base saturation 70% and the calcium and magnesium requirement 2.5 cmolcdm-3. H. undatus and H. polyrhizus cultivated in Haplorthox produced more dry matter when the aluminum saturation was between 1% and 4%, base saturation between 55% and 70%, and calcium and magnesium requirement 3.0 cmolcdm-3.