ABSTRACT
The lack of studies showing nutritional requirements of many orchids results in adoption of fertilization practices based on practical experience, which may not meet the nutritional requirements of all species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of mineral and organic fertilizers and their combinations on growth of orchid Cattlianthe 'Chocolate drop'. Seedlings of this hybrid were obtained by in vitro cloning, and grown in a greenhouse condition using plastic pots with capacity of 1 L containing as substrate a mixture of pine and bark (4v:3v). The evaluated treatments were: without fertilization (control), ultra-soluble mineral fertilizer (FMU), mixture of castor bean meal and bone meal (TM+FO), bokashi (BOK), FMU + mixture of castor bean meal and bone meal {FMU+(TM+FO)}, FMU + bokashi (FMU+BOK), mixture of castor bean meal and bone meal + bokashi {(TM+FO)+BOK}, FMU + mixture of castor bean meal and bone meal + bokashi {FMU+(TM+FO)+BOK}. Eight months after beginning of fertilizations, development of the aboveground part and accumulation of nutrients were evaluated. The FMU+BOK treatment was significantly superior to treatment without fertilization, with approximate increments of 54, 42, 33 and 78% over the dry weight of the aboveground part, aboveground part length, root length and leaf area, respectively. The combination of mineral and organic fertilization favored the growth of hybrid plants of Cattlianthe 'Chocolate drop'.
Keywords:
Orchidaceae; nutrition; fertilization; aboveground part; vegetative development
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