Variations on the nutritional status of eucalypt as influenced by the genetic material and age of tree

The Diagnosis and Recommendation System (DRIS) was applied to eucalypt tree s (hybrids of Eucalyptus grandis x E urophylla) with different ages and gro wing under different environmental conditions for three different clones. T he basic data were obtained from 1,986 trees of commercial stands cultivate d in the states of Espirito Santo and south Bahia, Brazil. The DRIS indices were calculated using the Beaufils' Range formula and grouped according to the Nutrient Application Potential Response method. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the N, P and Ca status in eucalypt trees, regarding t he tree ages and genetic materials. The DRIS indices discriminated differen ces in the nutritional status of the trees, both in relation to age and the genetic materials (clones). The results indicated that the deficiency of N and Ca tended to decrease with tree; age, whereas the P deficiency tended to increase. Furthermore, of the three evaluated cl;ones, those numbered 00 014 and 00034 showed opposite trends regarding to N, P, and Ca nutrition, a nd the clone numbered 00021, in general, presented the highest degree of un balanced nutrition of N, P and Ca.