Physiological and biochemical assessments for prediction of nutritional macronutrient disorders in the initial development on physic nut

Author(s)

Elcio Ferreira dos Santos

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/STB)
• Defense date: 2014-02-21

Examining board members

José Lavres Junior; Marcos Antonio Camacho da Silva

• Advisor: José Lavres Junior

Abstract

In Brazil, several studies with physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) have studied the assessment of nutritional status, but there are few investigations aiming to characterize the uptake and the biochemical and physiological responses to nutritional management of this species, for the purpose of prediction the nutritional status of plants. Thus, the objective with this study was to evaluate the uptake in the initial development of physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.), as well as the omission of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S, to physiological and biochemical assessments, and finally, predicting symptomatology frames deficiencies. To achieve the proposed objectives two experiments were conducted in a greenhouse. The plants were grown individually in pots containing nutrient solution. In the first experiment - uptake of macronutrients - the plants were grown in complete nutrient solution, whereas plants were taken every 14 days for the determination of dry matter and macronutrients accumulation. In the second experiment, the plants were grown in complete solution (control) and the omission of N, P , K , Ca , Mg and S. In this experiment biochemical and physiological tests were performed for predicting nutritional disorders at 20, 30, 40 and 120 days after initiation of treatment. The first manifestations of deficiency were observed for Ca and N, followed by Mg and K, but don\'t were observed symptoms of P and S deficiency. The activities of nitrate reductase, acid phosphatase and peroxidase, as well as the assessment of concentrations of polyamines, made in the early development of the plant, proved to forecast indicators of nutritional disorders of N, P and K, respectively. The individual macronutrients omissions limited the initial development of physic nut, in addition, reduced chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate differently. However, the omission of Ca was the most limited growth of this species for all variables (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/15208-0 - Biochemical and physiological tests on jatropha for prediction of nutritional disorders of macronutrients
• Grantee: Elcio Ferreira dos Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master