Mineral nutrition of vegetable crops: XXV - Mineral nutrition of new zealand spinach plant (Tetragonia expansa Murr.)

Abstract

The present work was carried out in order to study: a - the effect of omission and presence of the macronutrients and boron on the growth of the plants; b - deficiency symptoms of macronutrients, as well of boron; c - the effect of the deficiency of each nutrient on the chemical composition of the plants. Young spinach plants were grown in pots containing pure quartz sand. Several times a day the plants were irrigated by percolation with nutrient solutions. The treatments were: complete solution and deficient solution, in which each one of the macronutrients was omitted as well boron. Soon as the malnutrition symptoms appered, the plants were harvested and analysed chemically. - symptoms of malnutrition are easily observed for N, K, Ca and B. - symptoms of malnutrition for P, S and Mg are not easily identified. - the nutrient content, in dry matter, in deficient leaves and healthy leaves is: