AGAVE ANGUSTIFOLIA PLANTS GROWN WITH DIFFERENT FERTIGATION DOSES AND ORGANIC SUBSTRATES

Abstract

Agave angustifolia Haw. plants were obtained through micro-propagation. Plants were transplanted and grown for six months under nursery conditions in several substrates which resulted from the combination of sand with compost from waste pulp or earthworm compost in different proportions. In addition, the plants were irrigated with just water or with the Steiner's nutrient solution at 50% and 100% of nutrients concentration. The parameters evaluated were plant height, number of leaves, root volume, stem diameter, accumulated dry matter in the stem, total biomass and content of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in the leaves. The results showed that: 1) the number of leaves, stem diameter, root volume and the total biomass of the plants grown in substrates with compost from waste pulp were 9.5%, 8.8%, 32.13% and 20.4%, significantly higher (P≤0.05) regarding the plants grown in substrates with earthworm compost; 2) the proportion of compost in the substrate and application of fertigation had significant effects on plant growth, so that those plants settled in substrates with 100% compost and received fertigation with the greatest concentration of nutrients accumulated 37.8 grams of total biomass, showed 40.4 cm tall, 4.7 cm stem diameter and 2.1% N in the leaves. These values exceeded 109%, 71.9%, 40.7% and 22.5%, the corresponding values of plants that grew in substrates containing 25% of compost and had not received fertigation.