Initial growthing of corn under nutrient omission in nutritive solution

ABSTRACT The emergence of new corn hybrids may affect tolerance to nutritional deficiency culture. This study aimed to characterize the visual symptoms of macronutrient deficiency and its relation to the development, content and nutrient accumulation in maize. The experiment was arranged in entirely randomized design, with seven treatments and three replications. The plants were cultivated in nutritive complete solution of Hoagland & Arnon (1950), and the omission of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S. The onset of symptoms of deficiency of N, P, K, Ca and Mg occurred at 5, 16, 16, 16 and 22, days after the transplant, respectively. The corn had lower dry matter production in the omission of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in relation to the complete treatment. Symptoms of deficiency of N, P, K, Ca and Mg were observed in the shoots of corn with levels equal to 7.8; 1.2; 15.7; 1.8 to 0.7 g kg-1 , respectively. Complete treatment in the N, P, K, Ca and Mg in the shoots were 30.6; 5.9; 63.7; 6.0 and 4.5 g kg-1, in that order, good nutritional status. The dry matter production will decrease in the omission of nutrients in the aerial part and in the roots, and the treatments had lower dry matter production were the omission of N and K. The absence of a nutrient, and reduce its content in the shoot, cause imbalance between the other nutrients, thus providing characteristic symptoms of deficiency of each nutrient.