“…In addition to determining the adequate dose, it is necessary to fractionate fertilization, especially regarding nitrogen and potassium, because nutrient leaching can occur as a consequence of constant irrigation and small dimension of recipients (plastic tubes) containing plants (PRADO et al, 2008;PRADO et al, 2009;ROZANE et al, 2009a). These losses may reach 8%, 12% and 26% for N, P and K, respectively, with nutrient management system, and 7%, 10% and 56% when slow-release fertilizers are used, as found by Boaventura et al (2004), evaluating nutrient balance in citrus seedlings grown in commercial substrates.…”