UPDATE ON THE CULTIVATION OF PROTEA

The cultivation of “unknown plants” is approached in three ways: nutrition, growth and development and finally propagation. This paper treats only nutrition. Many researchers, mostly from Proteaceae growing countries (Southern Hemisphere), have insisted on phosphorous and nitrogen effects on Protea growth. Some scientists (Prasad and Dennis, 1985) emphasised that: “information on nutrient requirements of proteas is limited.” Today we know that to define a nutritive solution we must have good knowledge of how the plant functions as a whole. The great significance of proteoid roots provided by Lamont has helped to solve some problems. We will insist on the quality of the soils in relationship with the fertility, the pH and the texture. We focus on a main point in nutrient study — the water.

V International Protea Research Symposium

MARYSE Montarone

nutrition, mineral elements, water, soil, fertility, texture, pH, proteoid roots

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2001.545.18