Nutrient Uptake and Partitioning in Oriental Lilium

Abstract

Fertilization programs in lilium are suggested to start after shoot emergence or when the flower buds become visible because the nutrients stored in the bulb are adequate to meet plant demands at the transplant time. Defining plant nutrient uptake is essential to determine the periods of high demand and the amounts at which they should be provided. The objective of this study was to model the nutrients accumulated in Oriental lilium to provide insight into the design of environmentally sound fertilization programs. The most demanded macronutrient was K (1272.8 mg/plant), followed by N (719.1 mg/plant) and Ca (119.7 mg/plant), while Zn (140.7 mg/plant) and Fe (137.7 mg/plant) were the most demanded micronutrients. At the end of the season, most of the Fe (78.0%), P (55.0%) and N (54.3%) originated from the bulb, whereas most of the Ca (86.5%), Mn (84.8%) and Mg (62.9%) were uptaken by roots. During the first 15 days after transplant, 35.1% of the N in the shoot was absorbed from the substrate, as well as 91.0% Mg, 68.6% S, 49.6% K and 13.0% P, suggesting that fertilization for lilium should start at the transplant time. The results suggest that Ca, Fe, Zn and Cu were remobilized from the bulb.