Cultivo in vitro de plântulas de orquídea em meios com diferentes concentrações de fertilizante mineral

Abstract

There are a number of medium formulations for growth of orchid seedlings in vitro, with different compositions and concentrations of salts, leading to varying plant responses to them. The objective of this work was to evaluate in vitro growth of orchid (Cattleya walkeriana Gardner) seedlings subjected to different rates of a NPK fertilizer added to the growth medium. The fertilizer Peters® was used in the formulation NPK 10-30-20+Mg+micronutrients in the rates of 0.0; 1.0; 2.0; 3.0; 4.0; 5.0; and 10.0 g L-1 medium, with coconut milk (150 mL L-1), sucrose (20 g L-1) and activated charcoal (2 g L-1) and pH adjusted to 5.6. Six-month-old seedlings, previously germinated in Knudson C medium were transferred to 320 mL glass jars containing 35 mL of medium, using 10 plants per jar. The maximum production of dry matter from the aerial part at six months of age was estimated at 0.255 g/jar, with the medium added of 5.22 g L-1 of fertilizer. Considering the possibility of high salt concentration in the medium for some orchid species, the fertilizer rate needed to obtain 90% of maximum production was estimate at 3.55 g L-1. There was a drastic growth reduction in root growth when using high fertilizer concentrations, producing fewer roots and shorter.