No presente trabalho foram estudadas as variações nos teores dos nutrientes nas folhas de mudas de cafeeiro (Coffea arabica L. cv. catuai) em função das quantidades de cloreto e de sulfato de potássio aplicadas, acompanhadas de obser- vações sobre os sintomas de toxicidade e sobre o desenvolvimento das plantas. O ensaio foi instalado em vasos, em casa de vegetação, constando de 12 tra- tamentos com cinco repetições, e o solo utilizado procedeu do grande grupo Latos- solo Vermelho-amarelo, Orto. Foram determinados nas folhas, os teores de macro e micronutrientes. Altos teores de Cl foram relacionados com sintomas de redução no crescimento, necrose e desfolhação. Foi estabelecido um limite de toxicidade para o cultivar estudado. Em função dos tratamentos, houve alteração nos teores de K, Ca, P, S e Cu, prin- cipalmente.
An experiment was carried out in order to study the quantitative changes in the nutrient content of plants (Coffea arabica L. cv. catuai), as function of the amounts of KC1 and K SO applied to the soil. Throughout the experiment, the plants were observed for toxicity effects upon growth and development. 2 4 Chlorine in the leaves increased with increasing amounts of KC1 applied to the soil. There was a relationship between high concentrations of Cl in the leaves and reduced growth, necrosis and defoliation. No injurious effects of Cl were observed for levels up to 7600 ppm for all the leaves or for levels up to 9400 ppm in the leaves from the lower third of the plant. The antagonism between K and Ca was confirmed and plants receiving KC1 had less P in the leaves than the ones which received K SO . In these, however, P decreased with increasing applied K SO . 2 2 4 4 Plants receiving KCl had greater concentrations of Cu in the leaves than K SO — fertilized plants. In all treatments, Cu and Zn accumulated more in the stems than in the leaves.
