Mineral nutrition in orchids

Abstract

The Orchidaceae family stands out when it comes to the commercialization of pot flowers, this is due to their flowers being widely attractive and have variability of colors, size and shapes according to the species; this results in plants with high relevance to the economy in the floriculture sector. The goal of this study was to elucidate questions about the effect of micronutrients on initial growth, the influence of electrical conductivity and frequency of fertilizer application, and the efficiency of organic fertilization with castor bean cake, on the growth and nutrition of Brassia verrucosa Lindley orchid.  Studies with mineral fertilization involving nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in Cattleya and Phalaenopsis seedlings allowed to obserevar that the N increment increased the number of flowers in Cattleya, while P and K did not affect this variable. The salinity of irrigation water also has an effect on growth and flowering.  The electrical conductivity, the sources of fertilizers, their interaction with the substrate, the balance between the nutrients, the quantities and frequencies to be used, in addition to the different phenological requirements and characteristics intrinsic to the species, are important aspects to be considered in fertirigation.