The effect of N, Ni, Mo, Co and S omission on the N and S leaf contents of common bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris), grown in a greenhouse, was evaluated. The experimental design was factorial, using two soil types (Entisol and Cambisol), two inoculation levels (with and without Rhizobium), combined with six fertilization treatments: (a) Complete (N, P, K, Ni, Mo, Co and S); (b) without N; (c) without Ni; (d) without Co; (e) without Mo; (f) without S. The experimental design was completely randomized with three replicates. Fertilization supplied 126 mg kg-1 of N (split at sowing, 10, and 25 days after germination - DAG), 248 mg kg-1 of P, 117 of K, and of S in the soil. Ni, Mo, and Co (10, 250 and 10 mg L-1, respectively) were applied on the leaves nine DAG. Thirty five DAG, the plants were harvested, separating the indicator leaf from the others. Nitrogen fertilization increased plant growth, indicating N deficiency of the soils, but reduced N and S leaf contents concomitantly. The omission of the other mineral nutrients affected neither plant growth nor the N leaf content, but S omission did reduce the S leaf content, as expected.
Phaseolus vulgaris; inoculation; Rhizobium; fertilization