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<p>The visual quality of ornamental plants is necessarily linked to an adequate balance of nutrients. Plant height, shape and coloration are qualitative aspects of ornamental species, directly influenced by mineral nutrition, among other environmental aspects. The nutritional requirements of ornamental species are not yet well established, often resulting in inefficient use of chemical and organic fertilizers, without respecting the needs of each species as well as the proper time for application. This leads to the low quality of the final product, as well as high production costs, which justifies the importance of a nutritional knowledge of the species. In addition to plant nutrients, some elements not considered essential, such as silicon, may provide improvements in the quality of certain species, including ornamental plants. In this sense, this paper aims to compile information on the use of nutrients for ornamental species in order to contribute to the knowledge of the principal aspects of plant quality as relates to mineral nutrition.</p>

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The green area index is one of the parameters used to scale the life's quality of a city. Thus, the objective was to carry out the survey of green area index from Lavras-MG, in two different periods, with an interval of 10 years, making a comparative analysis of the index evolution in this period. It was carried out the assessment of the number of city squares, as well as its area and calculate the green area index. It was considered appropriate for this index, public areas located in urban area and over 70% of the permeable area. For determine this index, it was calculated the sum of the total area of the squares divided by the number of inhabitants of the city. It is concluded that green area index in Lavras-MG is 0.42 m²/ inhabitant. There was an increase of 12% compared to the diagnosis realized in 2001, but lower than that proposed by the Brazilian Society for Urban Forestation, 15 m²/inhabitant. Keywords: landscaping, parks, squares, life's quality. RESUMOInventário quantitativo e análise da evolução do índice de áreas verdes em Lavras-MG O índice de áreas verdes é um dos parâmetros utilizados para dimensionar a qualidade de vida de uma cidade. Objetivou-se realizar o levantamento do índice de áreas verdes da cidade de Lavras, MG, em dois períodos diferentes, com intervalo de 10 anos, fazendo uma análise comparativa da evolução desse índice nesse período. Realizou-se o diagnóstico do número de praças da cidade, bem como sua área e cálculo do índice de áreas verdes. Consideraram-se adequadas, para o cálculo desse índice, áreas públicas situadas na malha urbana e com mais de 70% da área permeável. Para a determinação do índice, foi calculada a soma das áreas totais das praças dividida pelo número de habitantes da cidade. Conclui-se que o índice de áreas verdes na cidade de Lavras é de 0,42 m²/habitante. Ocorreu aumento de 12% em relação ao diagnóstico realizado em 2001, mas inferior ao proposto pela Sociedade Brasileira de Arborização Urbana, de 15 m²/habitante. Palavras-chave: paisagismo, parques, praças, qualidade de vida.

The Ecological Park “Falls of Rio Bonito” is the unique ecological park located in Lavras region. This park has as purpose the regional fauna flora and water resources protection, environmental education, recreation and scientific research. However, the frequency of this park is decreasing over the time. Due to its great importance for Lavras, especially for eco-environmental aspects, a survey was conducted in order to identify city inhabitants impressions related to this area. The survey used structured questionnaires with direct questions. Four hundred people of all Lavras neighborhood were interviewed randomly. The park is visited most by the people who has middle-level education, family income greater than R$ 2,100.00 (minimum salary based on R$678.00). The most prominent attractions in the visitors’ view are the nature elements (waterfall: 27.76%, and tracks: 21.35 %). A part of the visitors (28.11%) had visited only once the park, and they alleged that the main reason why they did not return is constraints (41.8%). Among the respondents, 22% have heard about the park, but never visited it, due to constrains (45.5%) and lack of opportunity (17%). Only 7.75% of the respondents did not have knowledge about the park. The Park Falls of Rio Bonito has been sparsely attended due to the lack of ecological activities, constraints, the distant location and the park entrance fee.

The soilless cultivation of plants is an alternative for the production of flowers with high quality. Calla lily is normally produced on soil benches, but have shown some limitations as bacterial infections occur. One alternative may be a soilless cultivation. Hence, experiments were conducted with the objective to evaluate the development of calla lily in two types of hydroponic production systems. The semihydroponic system was tested using as substrates or growing media such as, coconut fiber, sand, vermiculite, and phenolic foam sheets. For the other system, ebb-and-flow, the substrates tested were vermiculite, coconut fiber, and expanded clay. Two different nutritional solutions were tested in both systems. in the semihydroponic system. In general, calla lily was adapted and showed a good development in a soilless cultivation. The best initial development of the calla lily was provided using vermiculite and sand as substrates on semihydroponic. And for the ebb-and-flow system, coconut fiber induced better development. As conclusion, hydroponic cultivation systems are efficient for the initial development of calla lily. The recommended substrates are those with lower porosity, such as sand, vermiculite, and coconut fiber.

Brazil is dependent on importation of fertilizers, especially the potassics. Rocks and minerals that contain nutrients have a potential for use in agriculture as fertilizer, especially those of slow solubilization and that exhibit residual effect. In this context, the objective was to assess the feasibility of glauconite rock as potassium source for the cultivation of ornamental sunflower. The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions arranged in an entirely randomized design, in a 4x4 + 4 factorial scheme, with four replicates and one plant per plot. Four glauconite-based fertilizers were used as a potassium source: fine grained glauconite, fine grained organo-mineral glauconite, coarse grained glauconite and coarse grained organo-mineral glauconite, in four doses, as well as an additional treatment with four doses of KCl, the principal conventional source of the nutrient. The height of the flower stalks, the diameter of the stem and floral capitulum, the number of cultivation days and post-harvest durability were evaluated. The application of KCl yielded the production of flower stems with greater height and larger capitulum diameter in relation to the supply of glauconite. Among the glauconite based fertilizers, the fine grained organo-mineral product provided the best flower charateristics. The postharvest commercial durability of the flower stalks was higher in plants that received the glauconite and fine grained organo-mineral glauconite. The fine grained organo-mineral glauconite surpasses all other alternative sources of potassium in relation to the agronomic characteristics evaluated.Index terms: Helianthus annuus; glauconite; mineral nutrition; ornamental plant; postharvest. RESUMOO Brasil é dependente da importação de fertilizantes, especialmente os potássicos. Rochas e minerais que apresentem nutrientes têm potencial de utilização na agricultura como fertilizante, especialmente aqueles de solubilização lenta e que apresentem efeito residual. Neste contexto, objetivou-se avaliar a viabilidade da rocha glauconita como fonte de potássio para cultivo do girassol ornamental. O experimento foi instalado em condições controladas arranjado em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 4x4+4, com quatro repetições e uma planta por parcela. Utilizaram-se quatro fertilizantes à base de glauconita como fonte de potássio: glauconita farelada fina, glauconita farelada fina organomineral, glauconita farelada grossa e glauconita farelada grossa organomineral, em quatro doses, além de um tratamento adicional com quatro doses de KCl, principal fonte convencional do nutriente. Avaliou-se a altura das hastes florais, diâmetro da haste e do capítulo floral, número de dias de cultivo e durabilidade pós-colheita. A aplicação de KCl proporcionou a produção de hastes florais com altura superior e maior diâmetro do capítulo floral em relação ao fornecimento da glauconita. Dentre os fertilizantes à base de glauconita, o produto farelado fino organomineral proporcionou melhores características...