Abstract
Cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC.) plants are highly dependent on the micronutrient iron during their early development stages. Given this, we tested the hypothesis that initial seedling development is affected by a lack of specific micronutrients. We planted seedlings of this species in standard hydroponic solution, and in individual treatments, in which B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn or Mo were omitted. The development of symptoms of micronutrient deficiency in response to the different treatment solutions was monitored visually for 120 days after transplantation, and growth parameters and the content of different nutrients in the plant tissue were determined. The deficiency of the micronutrient Mo was the treatment with the greatest effect on seedling growth. The most commonly observed symptoms of nutrient deficiency were chlorosis and necrosis (Cu and Zn deprivation) and impaired root hair development (Fe and Cu deprivation). Overall, Fe was the micronutrient that accumulated most in the stems and roots of the seedlings exposed to the standard nutrient solution, which confirms the importance of the availability of this nutrient in the initial stages of seedling development for the production of healthy cagaita plants, with greater viability.
Highlights
The cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC.) is a slow-growing, medium-sized fruiting tree native to the Brazilian Cerrado savanna biome
From 30 to 120 days after transplantation (DAT), the E. dysenterica seedlings grown in standard nutrient solution developed healthy leaves with no symptoms of malnutrition
The present study provides the first systematic insights into some of the visual characteristics that may be used to detect nutrient deficiencies in E. dysenterica seedlings
Summary
The cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC.) is a slow-growing, medium-sized fruiting tree native to the Brazilian Cerrado savanna biome. The lack of reliable data on the nutritional requirements of this plant is a factor limiting the large-scale production of seedlings necessary for the commercial production of the fruit, and reforestation and the recuperation of degraded habitats in the Cerrado (Bessa et al, 2016). The only data relevant to the mass production of the seedlings of this species refer to macronutrients (Bessa et al, 2019). Any deviation from the optimal concentrations of these essential nutrients in the soil may result in modifications of the structure, physiology or nutritional balance of the plant, different species appear to respond differentially to the lack of micronutrients (e.g. Viégas et al, 2018; Araújo et al, 2016; Souza et al, 2016)
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