Article ID: OKD-148
We carried out a comparative study on the effect of mineral fertilizers and biofertilizers on the nutrient concentration of Laelia anceps Lindl. subsp. anceps (Orchidaceae) seedlings. The first nutrient solution (Min-Fert) was prepared with commercial mineral fertilizers (Peters Professional® 30N-10P-10K); the second one (Biofert) from Nutro® commercial biofertilizer; and the third with a combination of mineral sources and biofertilizers (Min-Fert + Biofert). Mineral fertilization promoted significant differences in N concentration in leaves and roots. Also, it increased K and the concentration of some micronutrients in the roots. The phosphorous concentration increased in pseudobulbs and roots with the Min-Fert and Min-Fert + Biofert. Biofertilization increased the N concentration in pseudobulbs, and Min-Fert + Biofert increased the Ca and Mg concentration in the roots, as well as the concentration of Fe and Cu in pseudobulbs and Cu in the leaves. Interestingly, Min-Fert significantly increased the nutrient concentration in the roots in comparison to the other tissues. We demonstrated that the use of biofertilizers in L. anceps subsp. anceps (alone or as a supplement to mineral fertilization), represents an alternative to reduce production costs and mitigate the negative impacts of mineral fertilization on the environment.
