Chloride Applied via Fertilizer Affects Plant Nutrition and Coffee Quality.

The present study had the objective to evaluate the effect of blends of KCl and KSO fertilizers and their influence on the yield and the nutritional state of coffee plants, as well as on the chemical composition and quality of the coffee beverage. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with four repetitions and six treatments (T1: 100% KCl; T2: 75% KCl + 25% KSO; T3: 50% KCl + 50% KSO; T4: 25% KCl + 75% KSO; T5: 100% KSO; and a control, without application of K). The following analyses were performed: K and Cl content in the leaves and the soil, stocks of Cl in soil, yield, removal of K and Cl with the beans, cup quality of the beverage, polyphenol oxidase activity (PPO), electric conductivity (EC), potassium leaching (KL), the content of phenolic compounds, the content of total sugars (TS), and total titratable acidity (TTA).

Interactions of cadmium and zinc in high zinc tolerant native species Andropogon gayanus cultivated in hydroponics: growth endpoints, metal bioaccumulation, and ultrastructural analysis.

Cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) toxicity causes physiological disorders and harms plants, interfering with the rehabilitation of areas affected by mining activities. This study evaluated how the exposure to Zn and/or Cd affects the growth of native andropogon grass (Andropogon gayanus Kunth) plants originally found in areas contaminated with Cd and/or Zn due to zinc mining activities. Plants were cultivated for 7 weeks in a nutrient solution treated with Zn (142.