Symptoms, growth, nutritional status and accumulation of nutrients in young Zingiber spectabile plants subjected to restriction of macronutrients

Aim of this study was to characterize the symptoms produced by nutrient omission and evaluate the effects on growth, nutritional status, and accumulation of nutrients in young Zingiber spectabile plants subjected to restriction of macronutrients. The experimental design was completely randomized with seven treatments (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S deficiencies, and control) and 5 replicates. Visual symptoms linked to restrictions of macronutrients were, in general, easily characterized and appeared in the following order of treatments K, N, Mg, Ca, P and S restrictions. Individual restrictions of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S reduced the content of these nutrients, when compared to the control treatment. The order of the accumulation of nutrients was the same observed in contents of macronutrients, being control>N>K>Ca>Mg>P>S. The accumulations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were 855.0, 90.0 and 672.5 mg plant -1 in control plants. The restriction of all macronutrients limited the plant growth in relation to the control, in which potassium followed by magnesium were most limiting nutrients.