EFFECT OF LIMING AND POTASSIUM ON SOYBEAN S OIL AND PROTEIN-CONCENTRATION AND YIELD

A study was made on the effects of potassium and liming on soybean ('I AC-14') oil and protein. The experiment was carried out in a Dark-Red Latosol at Mococa, during three years, in which in the last two years the residual effect of fertilizers was studied. A split plot design wa s used where the main plots consisted of liming (0, 3.5 and 7.0 t/ha), and the sub-plots were of K2O (0, 150, 300, 450 and 600 kg/ha). The r esults showed that the K fertilization increased the oil content by 2. 2 percentage points in the grains and decreased the protein percentage in 4.2 to 6.6. Liming increased the protein content and decreased the oil content. At the 3.5 and 7.0 t/ha of liming rate, the maximum yiel d (MY) of oil was obtained with the K2O application between 423 to 438 and 430 to 480 kg/ha, respectively. To obtain MY of protein at 3.5 an d 7.0 t/ha of liming rate, these doses were associated with the applic ation of 408 to 453 and 455 to 581 kg/ha of K2O, respectively.