Silício como amenizador da fitotoxicidade de zinco em plantas jovens de Eucalyptus urophylla cultivadas em solução nutritiva

Abstract

Zn is an essential micronutrient for the growth and metabolism of plants, but when present in toxic levels in the environment, it can affect the the development of plants. Among the several beneficial effects of silicon (Si), it presents an effect in the decrease or elimination of the adverse effects of heavy metals in the environment. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of Si in the alleviation of Zn toxicity on the growth and mineral nutrition of Eucalyptus urophylla seedlings cultivated in nutrient solution. Seedlings of Eucalyptus urophylla were grown in pots containing 3L of Clark nutrient solution, in a 6 x 2 factorial design, using six Zn concentrations (0, 2, 50, 150, 300 and 450 µmol L-1 as ZnSO4 7H2O) and two of Si (0 and 1.78 mmol L-1 of Si as potassium silicate). After eight weeks, plant morphologic traits, dry matter production and content and nutrient utilization were evaluated. The increase of Zn concentrations in the nutrient solution provided higher toxicity in the roots than in the shoots. The addition of the Si alleviated the negative effect of the excess Zn on plant growth, but presented little effect on the nutrient content in these tissues. The silicon addition in the nutrient solution provided a more efficient use of P, Ca, Mg and S for the Eucalyptus urophylla plants