Mineral nutrition of ornamental plants: VIII - absorption and deficiency of nutrients by Chrysanthemum morifolium L., cv. 'Suzuki'

Abstract

The present work was carried out in order to study: a - the effect of omission and presence of P, K, Ca, Mg and S, on the growth of the plants; b - the amounts of P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn, absorbed during the growth of the plants. Chrysanthemum plants were cultivated in pots containing pure quartz and received complet and deficient solutions in which each one of the macronutrients was omited. When the malnutrition symptoms appeared, the plants were harvested and their dry matter chemically analysed. The absorption of nutrients was studied with the plants cultivated under field conditions. Periodically, plants were harvested and analysed for each nutrient. The symptoms of deficiencies are discussed and the levels in each part of the plants are presented. A chrysanthemum plant absorbs the following quantities of nutrients: 231.24 mg P; 1,600.10 mg K; 269.32 mg Ca; 112.77 mg Mg; 90.95 mg S; 0.799 mg Cu; 116.45 mg Fe; 23.35 mg Mn; 14.42 mg Zn.