Determination of nitrogen content in leaves and drained solution for diagnosis and prognosis of nutritional status of croton function of sources and doses of controled release fertilizer

• Grant number: 13/21358-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2014
• End date: March 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Keigo Minami
• Grantee: Marcela Del Carmen Vieira
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The fertilizer management is an essential step in the production process, because it allows the plant to use as much of its productive capacity. Thus, fertilizer allowing maximum improvement of nutrients by plants and less loss to the environment are topics of studies aimed at increases in productivity with reduced environmental impacts. Thus, this study aims to evaluate different sources and doses of controlled release commercial fertilizer (CRF) on growth, nutrient uptake and efficiency of nitrogen use by plants croton. The experiment will be conducted in a greenhouse during the period of September, 2013 and February, 2014. The experimental design will be in block randomized, being the treatments two sources of CRF (Osmocote and Basacote) with four doses (1,5, 3,0, 4,5 and 6,0 g/L of substrate) of it one, pattern nutrient solution and without fertilizer, entering 10 treatments. The cultivation will be carry out in plastic pots 4L, containing substrate prepared with pine bark and doses of fertilizer previously added to the substrate at planting. Will be evaluated plant growth (number of leaves, number of nodes, leaf area, dry mass of leaves, branches and roots), contents of macronutrients in tissues plants, concentration of nitrate and ammonium in the drained solution of pots and biochemical analyses (chlorophyll content and total soluble protein). The research aimed to obtain information about nitrogen use efficiency by plants of croton cultivated with substrate and balance of nutrient provided by controlled release fertilizer.