EVALUATION OF THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF MACAÚBA PLANTS

The macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata) is a species that has aroused the interest of research institutions and the agro-energy sector due to its oil production potential. Much still needs to be done for the crop to be established as a raw material in the production of biomass, with emphasis on the evaluation of the nutritional status of plants. The objective of this study was to characterize the nutritional status of macaúba leaves. The felled plant was 14.7 years old and comes from a plantation located in the experimental area of the Federal University of Viçosa, in the municipality of Araponga (MG). Active leaflets and senesced leaflets were collected separately, and then they were placed to dry in an oven with forced air circulation at a temperature of 60 ◦C until a constant mass was reached. The contents of macro and micronutrients were determined in the Plant Mineral Nutrition laboratory of the Department of Agronomy. The data obtained were submitted to descriptive statistical techniques. The average contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S were 6.27; 6,85; 7; 8,97; 0,84 and 0,10 g/kg of dry matter, respectively. The contents of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn and B were 2.15; 266; 24; 4,5; 263 mg/kg of dry matter, respectively. The data obtained will be of great importance to evaluate the nutritional status of plants cultivated in commercial crops, as well as to determine the requirement of the plants to obtain high yields.