Abstract
ABSTRACT Castor bean plants are susceptible to aluminum (Al) in the soil, requiring adequate management techniques for their cultivation in acid soils containing high Al levels, as it occurs in tropical regions. This study aimed to assess the Al tolerance of castor bean lines. A randomized block design, in a 2 x 9 factorial scheme, with four replicates, was used. The treatments consisted of presence and absence of Al, as well as nine castor bean lines (CRZ H06, CRZ H11, CRZ H12, CRZ H15, CRZ H17, CRZ H18, CRZ H19, CRZ H22 and FCA). Based on a distribution into quartiles, the lines were divided into two groups. The Al-tolerant group contained the CRZ H06, H11 and H17 lines, while the group susceptible to Al was composed of CRZ H12, H15, H18, H19, H22 and FCA. The FCA and CRZ H17 lines showed the highest growth, when cultivated without Al.
Highlights
Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) plants are known for their drought tolerance (Beltrão et al 2003)
The treatments consisted of presence (+Al) and absence (-Al) of Al, as well as nine castor bean lines (CRZ H06, CRZ H11, CRZ H12, CRZ H15, CRZ H17, CRZ H18, CRZ H19, CRZ H22 and FCA) grown in a nutrient solution
The castor bean lines were divided into two groups (Al tolerant and susceptible), using the distribution into quartiles, as proposed by Fisher & Maurer (1978) and adapted by Guimarães et al (2006)
Summary
Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) plants are known for their drought tolerance (Beltrão et al 2003). The crop is susceptible to the presence of trivalent aluminum (Al) in the soil, tolerating a maximum of 10 % of Al saturation (Lima et al 2007). This drought tolerance and high nutrient demand create confusion (Weiss 1983), leading to the mistaken belief that castor bean plants are hardy, require few nutrients and are resistant to acidity and Al. Al is toxic to plants and inhibits their growth, with roots being the primary site of Al toxicity (Ryan et al 2007). The roots are less efficient at absorbing water and nutrients, in deeper soil layers (Wang et al 2006, Guo et al 2007, Famoso et al 2010, Lima et al 2014, Freitas et al 2017b)
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