Growth, nutrient concentration and principal component analysis of Cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC.) seedlings grown in nutrient solution

Abstract

Cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC.) is a native fruit tree with high economical potential from the Brazilian Cerrado. However, little is known about the essential nutritional demands of its seedlings. To determine the nutrient demands of Cagaita, a greenhouse experiment was performed, in which plants were grown under hydroponic condition to assess the growth (length and diameter of stems, number of leaves, number of nodes, volume and length of roots, area of the leaf and crown and total dry weight of the leaves, stems and roots) and nutrient concentration (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) at different time points after the plant were transferred into a nutrient solution. The seedling growth presented linear behavior until 180 days after transplantation. The total plant dry weight was 6.54 g after 180 days of transfer into the nutrient solution. The N content was positively correlated with the total dry weight and leaf area, whereas B was negatively correlated with the length of the stem and number of leaves. Macro and micronutrient concentrations presented the following order: N>Ca>K>P>Mg>S, Fe>Mn>B>Zn>Cu. A principal component analysis of the different sampling times provided important information used to define the growth variables.

Macronutrient Omission Affects the Seedling Performance of Eugenia dysenterica DC., an Important Fruiting Species of the Cerrado Biome

“…Because leaf carbon accumulation is linearly related to leaf N content (Evans, 1989), plants in the initial growth stage, such as those evaluated in this study, must demand high N amounts to regulate carbon metabolism and amino acid and protein synthesis (Kulcheski et al, 2015). In a previous study, Bessa et al (2016) found, at 180 DAT, that E. dysenterica seedlings demanded a high N and Ca supply. Anacardium othonianum Rizz., another fruit tree species native to the Cerrado, also showed an increase in N and Ca accumulation relative to other nutrients at 180 DAT (Bessa et al, 2013).…”

“…An understanding of the adequate macronutrient demand, especially during the critical seedling production phase, which is the initial development stage, is a fundamental step in this process (Munson, 2018) because it may guarantee the large-scale production of healthy seedlings with the potential to withstand adverse field conditions (Bessa et al, 2016). Nutrients affect plant growth because they work as the building blocks of organic matter, cofactors or signalling molecules (Coruzzi & Bush, 2001).…”

Growth, Physiology and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Eugenia dysenterica DC under Varying Rates of Nitrogen and Phosphorus

“…Similarly, Araucaria angustifolia was shown to be responsive to increased P availability in terms of height, stem diameter, and shoot dry matter, with higher values at 472 mg dm −3 P fertilization [36]. Bessa et al [37] also observed a high correlation between plant growth traits and the availability of N, P, K, and S for E. dysenterica seedlings grown in hydroponic solution for 190 d.…”

Micronutrient deficiency affects the development of the seedlings of the cagaita, a Myrtaceae typical of the Brazilian Cerrado

“…The consumer market for cagaita fruit, which has an acid pH, low titratable acidity, and high humidity (Camilo et al, 2014), is expanding rapidly (Reis and Schmiele, 2019), given that it can be used for the production of a range of processed foods, in particular drinks (Martins et al, 2017). However, the lack of reliable data on the nutritional requirements of this plant is a factor limiting the large-scale production of seedlings necessary for not only the commercial production of the fruit, but also reforestation and the recuperation of degraded habitats in the Cerrado (Bessa et al, 2016). Up to now, the only data relevant to the mass production of the seedlings of this species refer to macronutrients (Bessa et al, 2019).…”

“…In this case, a visual diagnosis, which indicates the complete absence of micronutrients will be essential for the understanding of the plant's real requirements of these essential nutrients, although few insights are available for the native plants of the Cerrado. At the present time, all that is known of the development of the cagaita is that Fe is the most important nutrient for the initial development stage of the plant (Bessa et al, 2016).…”