Recrutment of B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn by coffee plants (Coffea arabica l. cv. Catuai) aged two, three, four and five years old growing in a red-yeelow latossol (ustox)

Abstract

From a coffee plantation situated on a red-yellow latossol near Salto, SP, Brazil, coffee plants with two, three, four and five years old were cut near the ground level of the soil at the following growth periods: july (grown almost nil) january (pin head stage) and june (ripe stage). The material was divided into stem, branches, leaves and fruits and dried at 80°C and analyzed by laboratory conventional methods. The greatest accumulation of Cu, Mn and Zn occurs in the aerial parts of five year old coffee plants during the months of july, january, and june. The accumulation of B and Fe differs during the different ages of the trees. In the fruits Fe accumulation does not show differences among the ages in the month of january. Fruits of five year old coffee trees export the following percentages in terms of the total content in the tree: B-30%, Cu-46%, Fe-26%, Mn-14% and 25% Zn.