Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important oilseed crop with clear sensibility to salt stress. In this study, we evaluated silicon (Si) effect on the nitrogen metabolism and antioxidant enzyme activity in sunflower plants subjected to salinity. A 4 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments in a completely randomized design with four replicates was used, consisting of four concentrations of Si (0.0; 1.0; 1.5; and 2.0 mM) and four concentrations of NaCl (0; 50; 100; and 150 mM) in the nutrient solution. The salinity reduced the nitrate content, but the increasing Si concentration in the medium improved the nitrate uptake, leading this ion to accumulate in salt-stressed plants, particularly in the roots. The nitrate reductase activity and the proline and soluble N-amino contents were also significantly increased by Si in salt conditions. The salinity increased electrolyte leakage and reduced the activity of enzymes superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase and catalase in sunflower plants, but these decreases were reversed by Si at 2 mM, thus alleviating the effects of salinity on these variables. We conclude that Si is able to positively modulate nitrogen metabolism and antioxidant enzyme activities in sunflower plants in order to alleviate the harmful effects of salinity.

Information about Açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) nutrition, that gives support for yield increase is sparse. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status of fertigated Açaí palm by the Index called Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS), as well as the spatial variability of this Index and its productivity. We achieved a sampling of 80 geo-referenced points in an Açaí palm commercial crop area. Then we assessed the yield and contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn. The DRIS evaluation indicated that the frequency of nutrients in suitable status was N > S > Zn > B>Fe > K>Ca > Mg > P>Mn > Cu, in deficiency was Mn > Ca > B>Cu > Mg > Fe > K > P > S>Zn > N, and in excess was P > Cu > Mg > K > N = Zn > Fe > Ca > S = B > Mn. The nutrients N and S were well balanced, whereas Mn, Ca and B were the nutrients with the highest frequency of deficiency. The sampling points were close enough to detect the spatial variability of DRIS Index. Thus, it was possible to observe the patterns for the nutritional deficiencies, occurring at the final part of the irrigation, as well as the variability of the Açaí palm yield. The spatial variability of the DRIS Index was efficient to indicate the points in which fittings in the fertilization doses are required.

The use of cover crops has become a common practice in oil palm plantations, ensuring greater sustainability to agroecosystems, increasing nutrient cycling and providing greater savings in the use of mineral fertilizers. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the accumulation of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S) in tropical kudzu plants (Pueraria phaseoloides L.) in oil palm plantations. The experiment was carried out in the municipality of Tailândia, Pará State, using a completely randomized experimental design, four replications and seven treatments (ages of oil palm). The accumulation of macronutrients was obtained through the product of nutrient concentrations and the dry matter of the aerial part of the living, dead and total cover of tropical kudzu. The order of total accumulation of cycled nutrients by legumes was Ca, N, K, Mg, P and S. Tropical kudzu cultivation, as a cover plant, contributes to nutrient cycling in oil palm plantations, but this benefit decreased with the age of palm oil trees.

A pesar da relevância socioeconomica da palma de óleo (Elaeis guineenses, Jacq) para a região norte do país, ainda são escassas as informações de adubação da cultura. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar os efeitos da adubação com nitrogênio (N), fósforo (P), potássio (K) e magnésio (Mg) na produção e estado nutricional de plantas de palma de óleo de diferentes idades. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos ao acaso com três repetições em esquema fatorial 3 x 3 x 3 x 2, sendo três níveis de P, três de K, três Mg e dois níveis de N em parcelas subdivididas. Foi efetuada adubação na área experimental, com 300 kg ha-1 de fosfino parcialmente acidulado e uma aplicação de 42,9 kg ha-1 de. As fontes de N, P, K e Mg utilizadas foram, respectivamente, uréia, fosfino, cloreto de potássio e sulfato de magnésio. Constatou-se que a adubação nitrogenada tende a proporcionar respostas em produção imediatas nas plantas jovens (5 a 6 anos). Para a adubação fosfatada, houve maior influência na produção nos três últimos anos, notadamente a partir dos quatros anos de idade das plantas. Houve influência da adubação magnesiana logo nos primeiros anos de produção da palma de óleo, apresentando crescimento linear positivo nas plantas com idade acima de seis anos. Quanto aos teores foliares, em função das aplicações de N, P, K e Mg, foi observado que mesmo na ausência da adubação nitrogenada o teor de N mostrou-se dentro da faixa adequada (24 a 30g kg-1). A adubação fosfatada e magnsesiana não influenciaram os teores foliares de N. Com o aumento das doses de fosfino ocorreu melhoria significativa na nutrição da palma de óleo, sendo que a adubação nitrogenada não alterou os teores foliares de P. O teor foliar de K nas plantas que receberam adubação nitrogenada apresentou declínio significativo a partir do envelhecimento das plantas. As adubações nitrogenada e fosfatada favoreceram o teor foliar de N em plantas jovens. A adubação potássica (1,5 kg planta-1) otimizou o teor foliar de P nas plantas mais velhas. O teor foliar de Mg em plantas de seis anos encontra-se correlacionado com aplicação de Mg, N e P. Plantas jovens (dois e quatro anos) apresentaram teor foliar de Ca com forte correlação com a aplicação de cloreto de potássio. A adubação fosfatada elevou o teor foliar de Cl e a adubação com cloreto de potássio diminuiu os teores foliares de B.

In Brazil, the status of chlorine (Cl) nutrition in plants is still poorly studied. The micronutrient Cl plays an important role in cultures such as coconut and oil palm trees. This study aimed to evaluate the status of chlorine nutrition in oil palm trees as a function of planting age, which ranged from two to eight years of cultivation. The experiment was conducted in Tailândia, state of Pará, Brazil. The soil of the area is characterized as Yellow Latosol of medium texture. A total of four oil palm trees were sampled for each age and the following variables were analyzed: leaf, petioles, rachis, palm heart, arrows, stipe, male inflorescences, peduncles, spikelets and fruits, as well as the accumulated, recycled and immobilized levels of Cl. Oil palm trees proved to be demanding in Cl and the accumulation in the different vegetative organs increased with the development of the plant. The stipe was the main storing vegetative organ of this micronutrient. The highest demand of Cl (16.9-26.0 g/kg) occurred in the palm heart, while for male inflorescence, the values ranged from 3.3-4.1 g/kg of Cl. The levels of Cl recycled by the plant were higher than the immobilized and exported levels considering the development up to 4 years of age. After this age, the levels of recycled Cl are lower than those immobilized. As for the amount of Cl exported by clusters in 8-year-old plants, the values were 3.2 and 1.3 times lower than the recycled and immobilized levels, respectively.