Initial physic nut nutrition and potassium balance in the soil-plant system

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the mineral nutrition and the response of physic nut to potassium fertilization as well as to assess whether the species can absorb K from the non-exchangeable soil fraction. The study was conducted in a greenhouse, in randomized blocks, and with four repetitions. Physic nut plants were cultivated in plastic recipients filled with 50 dm(3) of a Dark Red Latosol fertilized with rates of 0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 mg K dm(-3) of soil. One hundred and fifty days after planting, the height, stem diameter and leaf area of the plants were measured, and the dry mass, concentration in leaf and total accumulation of macro and micronutrients were determined, as well as the soil contents of exchangeable and non-exchangeable K. The K balance in the soil-plant system was also calculated. The increase of potassium fertilization resulted in a greater uptake of K, Ca and Mn but did not alter the total dry mass production of physic nut. The species can release and absorb K from the non-exchangeable soil fraction.