Teores de nutrientes de dois cultivares de oliveira durante o crescimento vegetativo e o florescimento/Nutrient content of two olive cultivars during the vegetative growth and flowering

The monitoring of the nutritional status during the different development stages of the plant is important for planning the fertilization, in order to maintain the nutrients in appropriate levels, and the leaf analysis is the best method to evaluate the nutrients levels in plants. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the nutrients contents in two olive cultivars during vegetative growth and flowering. Two-year-old olive cultivars 'Grappolo' and 'Barnea', obtained from rooting, planted at a spacing of 5 m between rows and 3 m between plants were evaluated. The statistical design was randomized blocks in Split Plot scheme, with 2 x 2 factorial on plot, two cultivars and two phenological stages: plants with vegetative and reproductive shoots, with five replicates and seven plants per plot. The leaf samples were harvested in four seasons: June (at the time of planting) August, September and October when plants began the emission of vegetative shoots and flowers. During the flowering period, the olive tree showed lower nutrients levels than the plants in vegetative stage. The cultivar 'Barnea', due to its fast growth, showed lower nutrients levels during the vegetative and reproductive stages. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]