The blueberry has high economic potential, but the, expansion of cultivation is limited by the difficulty of propagation. The hydroponic system provides a better growth due to the efficiency of nutrient supply. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth and mineral nutrient content of blueberry transplants in conventional and semi-hydroponic system. Micropropagated transplants of Bluebelle and Woodard cultivars with three months of acclimatization were submitted to two cultivation systems: conventional system, where they were kept in polyethylene sacs containing Plantmax ® + vermiculite (1:1) and irrigated with nutrient solution every 15 days; and semi-hydroponic, where they were kept in plastic flower pots containing sand and irrigated daily with nutrient solution. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four treatments, with four repetitions composed of twelve plants. Shoot height, number of shoots, average length of shoots, shoot fresh weight, fresh and dry mass of roots, and leaf nutritional analysis were evaluated. The semi-hydroponic system provided better results for all variables evaluated in both cultivars. Plants grown in semi-hydroponic system presented higher levels of nutrients which were appropriate for this culture.
propagation; microcutting; hydroponics; Vaccinium spp
