Macro and micronutrients composition of leaves and stem of bearing branches of 'Bengal' litchi was studied from July/97 to September/98. Samples consisted of branches of the last vegetative flush before July/97, which were taken every one or two weeks. Mineral composition of leaves and stem changed with the age. In leaves, the amounts of N, P, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn tended to decrease from the beginning of the sampling period until the end of flowering. In the same way, leaf contents of all nutrients, but Ca, Mg, Fe and Mn, decreased during the new vegetative flush emission, between February and March of 1998, one month after fruit harvest. This indicates the translocation of these nutrients to the new vegetative flush, although leaf fall could have contributed to reduce nutrients amounts. In the stem, the amounts of all nutrients tended to increase during the year, except during fruit development, when reductions in the contents of N, P, K, Mg and Cu were observed.
Mineral composition; content of nutrients; inflorescence; plant nutrition
