Effects of Liming on the Growth and Nutritional Status of Crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst)

Abstract

Crambe cultivation has expanded in Brazil. The species is a promising alternative for biodiesel production since its seed contain great amounts of oil. Nevertheless, only few studies have focused on the growth and nutritional requirements of crambe cultivated in acidic soils. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of liming on the growth and nutrient accumulation of crambe cultivated in a Yellow Latosol of medium texture. The experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design. The treatments consisted of different soil base saturation levels (0%, 20%, 40%, 60% and 80%) with five replications. Plant height, leaf length, leaf width and the number of seeds were evaluated 90 days after planting. The plant material was separated into leaves, stem, seeds and roots, which were oven dried at 70 ºC until constant weight. Analysis of variance was performed, followed by data regression when significant at 5% probability level by the F test. Crambe responded positively to liming in the soil under study at a base saturation of 56.95% as a function of the biometric variables. The increase in the base saturation of the soil to up to 60% promoted a drastic reduction in plant growth and, therefore, in the final grain yield. The decreasing order of the leaf nutritional content at 56.95% base saturation was: N>Ca>K>Mg>S>P>Fe>B>Mn>Zn> Cu.