The fruits of West Indian cherry plants are harvested on four to six times along the year in the Brazilian northeast region. It is expected that exportation of mineral elements by fruits may vary among genotypes and harvest times. Thus, this work was carried out at the experimental field of Embrapa Tropical Agroindustry, located in Pacajus, CE (4º10' S; 38º27' W), Brazil, in 1999/2000 cycle, aiming to determine the exportation of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn per ton of fresh fruit from six genotypes, in six harvest times. The plants were with 2.5 years old, and yield average from 18.16 to 27.62 kg/plant/year, cultured under natural weather conditions (without irrigation). It was used a complete randomized block design, with split plots (genotypes in plots, and harvest times as sub-plots) with four replications. It was observed that the nutrient exportation was greater in the season with the most volume of rain (from February to April); genotypes do not induce important difference on macronutrients exportations; genotypes P-52, P- 93 e P-97 exported greater amounts of Cu and Zn; and the exportation sequence of nutrients was: K>N>P>Mg>Ca>S>Fe>Zn>Mn>Cu.
Malpighia emarginata; harvest seasons; genotypes
