NUTRIENTS ABSORPTION OF EGGPLANT SEEDLINGS CULTIVATED IN GREEN COCONUT COIR FIBRE

This study aimed to carry through chemical caracterization of the coconut fiber powder and evaluate its effect on the absorption of nutrients in the as medium substrate on the production of eggplant seedling. The experiment was conducted for forty days under greenhouse, and it was used seeds of the Florida Market cultivar were cultivated in polyetilene strays with 54 cells and irrigated with nutritive solution two times for day. The substrates were used dust and fiber green coconut coir fibre, in the proportions of 100% of dust, 75% of dust + 25% of fiber and 50% of dust + 50% of fiber, washed and not washed; dry coconut coir fibre not washed; rind of green coconut grinded (fiber and dust mix from machine) washed end not washed (fiber and dust mix from machine); commercial substrate not fertilized and control (green coconut coir fibre not washed and not fertilized). It was used a statistical randomized block design with eleven treatments and four replications, with 25 plants per replications. The chemical characterization of substrates was carried through and was valuated nutrient total contents of the plant upper parts. The best results were observed for the seedlings grown in dry coconut coir fibre not washed, followed by commercial substrate and green coconut coir fibre washed.