Abstract
Abstract Vegetative tissue analyses might help to diagnose nutritional status of a crop. Foliage diagnosis is an effective method to set up balanced fertilization procedures. The current work aims to evaluate nutrient contents of two gerbera leaf sampling periods as a cut flower cultivated in pots with different doses of nitrogen (N) and calcium (Ca) under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was carried out in a protected environment, shelter type, in a container containing substrate in a 3x3+1 factorial scheme. Three doses of N (0.07, 0.15 or 0.2 g L-1) or three doses of Ca (0.02, 0.03 or 0.04 g L-1) were applied every 15 days. Control plants did receive neither N nor Ca. The substrate was analyzed before and after cultivation, and at the end of production years, as well as completely expanded leaves were collected for nutrient analyses. There was not significant interaction between N and Ca doses. Regarding the sampling period or doses of N and Ca, the determined macronutrient concentrations were in the following order of N>K>Ca>P>S>Mg. The micronutrient concentrations were in the following order of Fe>Mn>B>Zn>Cu. Except for K, all the other nutrient concentrations were in the recommended range for gerberas production.
Highlights
Gerbera (Gerbera hybrida H.) is a commercial flower that is cultivated as a cut flower or in pots, and it is highly enjoyable in the flowers market and ornamental plants in Brazil, offering great diversity of colors, good durability, and resistance to transportation (Santos et al, 2017)
Concerning the chemical characteristics of the substrate, the conductivity was influenced by the tested doses of N and Ca fertilization (Figure 1A and B)
The obtained results are in accordance with those of Mercurio (2002) who recommends that substrate for gerbera as cut flower should have a conductivity below 0.9 mS cm-1 in 1:5 diluted solutions
Summary
According to Malavolta (2006), plant nutrition and fertilization are vital components to promote good quality resulting in adequate returns to economically important crops. Nitrogen is one of the key nutrients required by plants, since it is involved in essential biochemical functions, such as chlorophyll synthesis, amino acid constituents, amides, proteins, nucleic acids, and nucleotides. 462-469 other hand, calcium has a central role in cell division and nitrogen absorption at vegetative growth points, as well as being a crucial constituent of the cell wall (Taiz and Zeiger, 2013). Nutrient analysis of plant tissues aids to diagnosis the nutritional status of a crop. In Brazil, there is slight information on nitrogen (N) and calcium (Ca) fertilization for gerberas as cut flower grown in containers with organic substrate. The choice to study these nutrients is due to their functions for plants growth (Milani et al, 2019)
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