Eficiência de absorção de nutrientes em Amaranthus Spp.

Abstract

The genus Amaranthus presents an extraordinary potential to be explored in human and animal food, however, information about its species, nutritional and cultivation properties are limited. The objective of this work was to determine the response of Amaranthus spp. to the chemical fertilization in cultivation with nutritional solution of Hoagland & Arnon, besides checking the leaves nutritional constitutions of different species. Seven species in nutritional solution were studied: A. cruentus, A. retroflexus (variety 1), A. deflexus, A. retroflexus (variety 2), A. viridis, A. hybridus and A. spinosos. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in a completely randomized design with 4 replicates. The agronomic and nutritional characteristics were evaluated by determining root and shoot length, chlorophyll content, dry and fresh weight of shoot and root, and macro and micronutrient analysis. Statistical analyses were performed using the means test and main component analysis. In view of the results, it was concluded that A. spinosos is more propitious to this cultivation method, and a greater increase of fresh matter was observed, which is a source of human food. In the species A. retroflexus (variety 2) and A. hybridus, higher nutrient contents were observed, however, these species did not produce proportionally to their accumulation. The formation of similar groups according to the foliar nutrient content was observed. The strong and positive correlations found in this work were A. retroflexus (variety 2) with K and Mn, A. viridis with Zn, and A. hybridus with B and Zn.