Omission of macronutrients of the growth and nutritional status of plants of cabbage grown in nutrient solution.

Given the importance of heart, especially among the high brassica consumption, coupled with the scarcity of studies that report symptoms of nutritional disorders in the culture, the work was carried out to evaluate the effect of the omission of macronutrients in the development and nutritional status of cabbage, and describe visual symptoms of nutritional deficiency. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions in the UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP. The experiment was arranged in completely randomized design with three replications and seven treatments, corresponding to complete nutritive solution (macro and micronutrients) and individual N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S omission. Plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, shoot, root and whole plant dry mass and macronutrient levels were determined and nutritional deficiency symptoms were described. Individual omissions of N, P, K or Ca were limiting for cabbage growth, considerably reducing plant height, number of leaves, and shoot, root and whole plant dry mass. Nutritional deficiency symptoms were observed for each element. Shoot macronutrient levels in control and nutrient omission treatments were, respectively: N = 31.0-11.9; P = 5.3-0.60; K = 63.5-4.8; Ca = 25.9-4.8; Mg = 5.2-0.5; S = 10.3-1.4 g kg(-1).