Resumen

GARCIA GAYTAN, Víctor et al. Foliar penetration routes for fertilizing the Orchid Cymbidium sp. (Orchidaceae). Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.spe5, pp.913-924. ISSN 2007-0934.

The objectives of this study were to characterize the leaf anatomy and identify the routes of penetration of a foliar fertilizer 10-10-10 (NPK) on the Orchid (Cymbidium sp.), a species with high profitable potential for its high prices as a pot and cutting flower. Considering the plants morphological characteristics, to precise the nutrient absorption sites concede to optimize the technique and the inputs to be applied. Foliar applications and histological sections were conducted in the laboratory of Plant Histopathology of the Postgraduate College in Agricultural Sciences, Campus Montecillo, during the months April to August, 2012. The thickness of the cuticle along the leaf was not even; in the middle portion was thicker (29.90 µm) than in the apical (26.91 µm) and basal portions (25.75 µm). The number of stomata throughout the leaf was uniform. In the middle region of the leaf, the epidermal tissue thickness (63 045 µm), the diameter of the subepidermal fiber bundles (184.55 µm) showed the highest values, while the larger diameter of the vascular bundle (1 031 µm) and the thicker mesophyll (3 777.91 µm) occurred in the basal portion of the leaves. The route of penetration of the foliar fertilizer was via cuticular and stomatal from 3 0 min after making the application and 120 min later it was visually observed in the pseudobulbs, suggesting that the fertilizer flows into this area preventing loss. These results indicate that foliar feeding is a viable alternative that can be implemented in this ornamental production.

Palabras llave : Cymbidium sp.; Orchid; pseudobulbs.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Español     · Español ( pdf )