Growth and nutrient leaf level in coffee plant (Coffea arabica L.), from isolated and simultaneous omission of Ca, B, Cu E Zn

Abstract

Realized in greenhouse, the present research aimed to evaluate the effect of isolated and simultaneous omission of Ca, B, Cu and Zn on growth, leaf nutrient concentration level, as well as the manifestation of deficiency visual symptoms from coffee plants (Coffea arabica L.). The experimental design was fully randomized with four replicates and eight treatments, as mentioned above: complete nutritive solution (Hoagland & Arnon, 1950), solution with individual omission of Ca, B, Cu and Zn and double omission simultaneous of Ca and B, Cu and Zn and B and Zn. The omission of nutrient in the nutritive solution caused a reduction in leaf concentration, independent to be isolated or associated with another. The leaf analysis showed in the treatments with nutrient omission, independent of omitted nutrient, the leaf level of Ca (2,02 g/kg), B (14,98 mg/kg), Cu (0,91 mg/kg) and Zn (3,15 mg/kg), was always lower than the verified for plants with full treatments. The isolated and simultaneous absence reduced the plant development, causing morphological modifications with characteristics symptoms of deficiency. The simultaneous symptoms of deficiency were initially characteristic for leaf nutrient. The reduction in total dry matter of coffee was influenced in the following order: B = Ca e B = B e Zn > Zn = Cu = Cu e Zn > Ca.