Determinación de un índice de calidad y salud de suelos para plantaciones Bananeras en Venezuela

Abstract

A procedure for the determination of a soil quality and health index for banana plantations in Venezuela is presented. Sixty chemical, physical and microbiological indicators were measured in six banana farms selected in Trujillo and Aragua states, Venezuela. The test was carried out in order to verify the convenience and functionality of the various indicators used. The farms were selected from a wide range of contrasts on management practices and productivity levels (export farms and local production farms), and were divided in different areas based on productivity (bad/good). The best explanatory variables related to production were selected on the basis of multivariate data analysis techniques. Once the minimum number of data sets was selected (11) and the corresponding response curves defined, quality and health indices for the soil of banana plantations in Venezuela was determined.