Avaliação de cultivares de alface adubadas com silicato de cálcio em casa-de-vegetação Evaluation of lettuce cultivars fertilized with calcium silicate in greenhouse

O experimento foi conduzido no Departamento de Ciência do Solo da Universidade Federal de Lavras - UFLA, no período de junho a agosto de 2002. Objetivou-se avaliar a produtividade, o estado nutricional e a qualidade (classe de tamanho) de cultivares de alface cultivadas com doses de silicato de cálcio em vasos sob casa-de-vegetação. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, com 1 planta/vaso, em esquema fatorial 3 x 4 + 3, sendo três cultivares de alface (Raider, Regina e Vera) e quatro doses de silicato de cálcio (0, 410, 1,000 e 2,000 mg dm-3); os tratamentos adicionais foram compostos pela aplicação de 820 mg dm-3 de carbonato de cálcio, para as três cultivares. O estado nutricional das plantas de alface foi avaliado pelo Sistema Integrado de Diagnose e Recomendação (DRIS). A aplicação da fonte silicato de cálcio não aumentou o crescimento das plantas e não aumentou o teor dos nutrientes nas plantas de alface, mas melhorou a nutrição das plantas para Si e aumentou a porcentagem de plantas sadias. A aplicação também aumentou a concentração de Mn, devido ao alto conteúdo de Mn no fertilizante aplicado (Silifértil®). As três variedades de alface comportaram-se como plantas não acumuladoras de Si.<br>The experiment was carried out at the Department of Soil Sciences of the Universidade Federal de Lavras - UFLA, from June to August 2002, with the objective to evaluate the productivity, the nutritional state and the quality (size class) of lettuce cultivars grown with calcium silicate in greenhouse. The experimental design was disposed in blocks with four replicates, in factorial arrangement with additional treatments: 3 x 4 +3, composed by three lettuce cultivars: Raider (group crisphead lettuce); Regina (group butterhead lettuce) and Vera (group looseleaf lettuce) and four calcium silicate rates (0, 410, 1.000 and 2.000 mg dm-3), additional treatments were composed of the application of calcium carbonate of 1.000 mg dm-3 for the three cultivars. The nutritional status of lettuce was evaluated by Diagnosis and Integrated Recommendation System. The application of calcium silicate fertilizer did not increase the growth of the plants and did not improve the concentration of nutrients in lettuce plants; but improved the lettuce nutritional status for Si and increased the percentage of leaves healthy. The application also increase Mn concentration, due to high content of Mn in the silifértil® fertilizer. The three varieties of lettuce behaved as non-accumulation plants of Si

Ecophysiological and anatomical changes due to uptake and accumulation of heavy metal in Brachiaria decumbens

The growth and developmental characteristics of grasses and their high biodiversity make such plants suitable for remediation of areas contaminated by heavy metals. Nevertheless, heavy metal toxic effect on the plants may cause alteration in their metabolic pathways, such as photosynthesis, respiration, and growth, modifying plant anatomy. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of levels of soil contamination (0, 7.5 % and 15 % m³ m-3) on biomass production, on photosynthetic characteristics and on anatomical changes in roots and leaves of brachiaria (Brachiaria decumbens Stapf.). After seeds were planted, seedlings were uprooted and replanted in vases containing soil at different contamination levels, being left to rest for 120 days. At the end of that time, plants presented reduced yield of root and shoot dry matter, contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and potential photosynthesis with increased of soil contamination. The cell layers of endodermis and exodermis in the root tissues and the cell walls of the xylem and cortical parenchyma all thickened as contamination increased. In the leaf tissues, the adaxial and abaxial epidermis presented increased thickness while the leaf blade presented reduced thickness as contamination increased with consequent change in the root growth rate. In general, the effects of heavy metal increased with the metal concentration. Some results indicate that B. decumbens seems to have some degree of heavy metal tolerance