Macronutrients and boron deficiencies in tabaco plant (Nicotiana tabacum L. var. goianinho)

Abstract

In order to obtain: 1) the deficiency symptoms of the macronutrients and boron; 2) nutrient levels in the plants. Tabaco plants were cultivated in pots containing pure quartz and irrigated with nutrient solutions with different compositions. Solution containig all the nutrients, solutions lacking N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S or B. Once the symptoms were clearly identified the plants were harvested and divided into stem, old and young leaves. The material was dried at 80°C and analysed for the elements. The authors concluded 1) only the omission of N, P, K, Ca and Mg affected the dry matter productions; 2) the malnutrition symptoms were identified for each element; 3) the range of the elements exprensed in dry matter for unheal thy and heal thy leaves: N% 1.23-3.06; P% 0.04-0.11; K% 1.15-3.25; Ca% 0.20-0.59; Mg% 1.13-1.25, S% 0.16-0.20; B-ppm 34-59.