Characterization of visual symptoms, dry matter production and bio-metric index in castor bean under micronutrients deficiency.

The current work had the objective to characterize the visual symptoms of nutrient deficiencies, single and multiple, in castor bean cultivar Guarani, as well as their effects on dry matter and biometrical index. The experiment was carried out in culture solution with randomized blocks with six treatments and four replications. The treatments were represented by control, then the Hoagland and Arnon (1950) control, omission of iron (-Fe); multiple omission of iron and zinc (-FeZn), omission of manganese (-Mn), multiple omission of manganese and zinc (-MnZn) and omission of zinc (-Zn). Castor bean plants under single Zn omissions did not show visual symptoms, however multiple omission of this nutrient increased the symptoms intensity and reduced the plant height. In such results, the symptoms of Zn deficiency were observed. The nutrients content, in leaves, were more affected by the treatment -FeZn, while the stem contents were affected under Zn omissions. The nutrient omission, single or multiple, in culture solution caused morphological changes and turn into a visual symptoms, altered the dry matter, biometrical index and nutrient contents in castor bean plants.