The mate tea tree (Ilex Paraguariensis St. Hil.) has considerable growth in acid a low fertility soils. The knowledge of soil and plant relation will contribute to genetic improvement programs, as highly capable progenies in nutrient acquisition may be selected. The objective of this study was to evaluate the interference of provenance and, or progenies, in relations established among the extractable contents of Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn, via Mehlich-1 (1:10); and EDTA (1%), with the corresponding contents in the mate tea tree leaves. In the experiment two provenances, Ivaí-PR and Barão de Cotegipe-RS, with five progenies each considered as treatments. The samples were distributed in four randomized blocks, totalizing 120 plant leaf samples, related to 120 soil samples of a Red Distrophic Latosol. The results were analyzed and fitted in regression equations. In Ivaí provenance Zn and Mn from the soil correlated with their contents in the leaves for progeny 04, for both extracts. For provenances 08 and 10, soil Mn via EDTA correlated with leaf Mn contents, while via Mehlich-1 only for progeny 10. In the provenance of Barão de Cotegipe, the correlations between soil and leaves for Zn, Fe and Cu occurred for the EDTA extract in the progenies 61, 65 and 69 respectively. For Mn and Cu, via Melich-1 the correlations occurred for progenies 53 and 69 respectively, and still for Cu, via EDTA, for progeny 53.
provenances; progenies; genetic improvement
