Knowing root system characteristics aids in the definition of practices of soil preparation and fertilization. The objective of this work was to estimate the biomass, root nutrient content, fine and medium roots length and area and the macronutrient use efficiency for the teak (Tectona grandis) regarding the formation of roots area in different soil depths. The separation of roots from the soil was made stratifying them in thick (> 5 mm), medium (2 to 5 mm) and fine roots (< 2 mm), for N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S determination. Medium and fine roots (± 0.5 g) were scanned and quantified by the QuantRoot® program, generating the diameter, area and length. The total fine and medium roots biomass was of 1.335 and 1.258 kg ha-1, respectively, with 56.2% of the fine roots and 44.4% of the medium roots concentrated in the 0-20 cm layer. The total fine roots length was 8.237 km ha-1 with 57.4% in the first 20 cm depth. The total fine roots surface was 18.441 m2 ha-1, with 57% of this surface in the first 20 cm of soil. The total amount of nutrients in the roots, in the studied soil layer (0-60 cm), in decreasing order, was K > Ca > N > Mg > P > S. Phosphorus and sulfur are the nutrients with higher use efficiency for roots area formation in teak stands.
Tectona grandis; Specific root área; Forest nutrition
