Nutritional deficiency in cowpea seedlings due to omission of macro and micronutrients

Abstract

The Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] cv. Pitiúba is an important crop in the economic and social contexts in the Northeast of Brazil, especially in the state of Ceará, which is considered the largest producer of this region. With the purpose of characterizing the symptoms of nutritional deficiencies in Cowpea seedlings, the seeds were sowed in washed sand and, after a period of five days, the seedlings were transferred for a complete nutrient solution for the period of acclimatization. After three days, the seedlings were submitted to the different treatments. The experiment had the following treatments: complete nutrient solution (N; P; K; Ca; Mg; S and micronutrients) and individual omission of each element –N; -P; -K; -Ca; -Mg; -S; -B, -Fe and -aeration. The symptoms of the deficiencies were observed, characterized and registered by pictures. In the end of the experiment, the length measures and the fresh and dry matters of the root and shoot of the seedlings were analyzed. All macro and micronutrients caused deficiency symptoms and they affected the development of the seedlings. The symptoms were developed firstly in seedlings with failure in Fe, Ca and N. The total dry matter was reduced in all the treatments with absence of nutrients, but the absence of Ca, N and Fe were responsible for the larger reduction of biomass. The decreasing order of reduction was: Ca > N > Fe > P > K > Mg > S > Aeration > B > Complete.