SPAD READING IN IMPERIAL PINEAPPLE UNDER MACRONUTRIENTES AND BORON DEFICIENCY

The equipment Minolta SPAD-502 measures the intensity of green color of leaves and has been used in the quantification of chlorophyll, characterized by speed, simplicity, and especially by allowing a non-destructive evaluation of the leaf tissue. The objective of this study was to calibrate the SPAD reading and its correlation with the diagnosis of induced deficiencies of macronutrients and boron deficiencies involving the vegetative growth of the pineapple. The experiment consisted of eight treatments: complete, -N,-P, -K, -Ca, -Mg, -S and -B in randomized complete block with six replicates. It was evaluated the length and the width of the sheet "D" (marked) and readings taken with the SPAD 502 chlorophyll meter. The use of the method of indirect measurement of chlorophyll is suitable for assessing the nutritional status of N and vegetative growth of 'Imperial' pineapple. The value Spad and concentration of leaf N in the complete treatment are respectively: 75.7 and 14.8 g kg(-1) and deficient in N: 36.6 and 9,7 g kg(-1). With the exception of the deficiencies of N and P, the other treatments did not affect SPAD readings.