Avaliação do desenvolvimento inicial da cultura do gergelim (Sesamum indicum L.) em diferentes concentrações de magnésio

Abstract

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential macronutrient for plant development, participating in processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, carbohydrate, protein and synthesis. This study analyzed the effect of different magnesium concentrations on sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) germination and early growth, aiming to determine the limits for optimal crop development during its initial stage. The experiments were conducted at the Plant Biology Laboratory of the Subtropical Tropics Institute (ITS) at PUC Goiás, using five treatments with magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) solutions at concentrations of 0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 ppm. Initially, growth was evaluated under laboratory conditions, followed by a field experiment. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA, and the tested variables included plant height, root length, stem diameter, number of leaves, biomass accumulation, and dry matter. Results showed that high magnesium concentrations (200 and 300 ppm) negatively affected seedling development during the initial stage (7 days). However, plants evaluated at 20 days under field conditions showed no sensitivity to magnesium concentrations or comparison with the control treatment, suggesting that magnesium may have limited importance at this stage, possibly due to the slow absorption rate reported in the literature for other macronutrients.