The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of nutrient omission on macronutrient uptake, translocation and utilization efficiency in corn. To achieve this objective a greenhouse experiment was conducted in completely randomized design, with seven treatments and three replications. Corn plants were cultivated in Hoagland & Arnon (1950) solution complete or with omission of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S for 30 days. After this period, plants were harvested and separated into aerial parts (leaves+stem) and roots. The plant parts were dried, weighed and ground for the macronutrient determination and calculation of efficiency indices. The omission of macronutrients reduced the dry mass of the whole plant and uptake efficiency compared with the complete solution. The omission of P, Mg and S resulted in higher utilization efficiency compared with the complete solution. In deficient plants, nutrients are retranslocated from the other organs to middle leaves of the plant in order to maintain its contents.
Hydroponic cultivation; mineral nutrition; Zea mays L.
