"BIOFORTIFICATION OF TWO VARIETIES OF JAMBU (Acmella Oleracea) SUBMITTED TO DOSES OF ZINC AND SELENIUM IN HYDROPONIC GROWING SYSTEM"
Malnutrition, food fortification, hydroponics, vegetables, supplementation.
Human malnutrition or hidden hunger affects several countries. In view of this, several strategies have been used to circumvent the problem, one of which is biofortification, which consists of introducing essential nutrients to humans through the supplementation of these nutrients to plants. There is evidence of selenium (Se) scarcity in Amazonian soils, as well as studies that show the insufficiency of zinc (Zn) consumption by pregnant women and children. Jambu is a highly consumed vegetable in northern Brazil. Due to the high consumption of jambu in the Amazon region, it is believed to be a crop with potential for biofortification with Se and Zn. Thus, in this work, the effects of Se and Zn supplementation on growth, physiology, development and accumulation in two varieties of jambu (purple and yellow flower) were evaluated. Two experimental trials were carried out in a greenhouse in randomized blocks. The first consisted of a 5 x 2 factorial experiment, with four doses of Se (0; 1.0; 2.0; 3.0 and 4.0 mg L-1) and two varieties of jambu (purple and yellow flowers). ) with five repetitions. The second consisted of a 6 x 2 factorial arrangement, with five doses of Zn (0; 1.0; 2.0; 3.0; 4.0 and 5.0 mg L-1) and two varieties of jambu ( purple and yellow flower), with five replications. In the tests, the analysis of growth, production, post-harvest, chlorophyll, gas exchange and levels of macro and micronutrients were determined. The results obtained were submitted to analysis of variance, when significant, using regression analysis. Based on the analysis of preliminary data from the first experiment with Se, it was possible to demonstrate that Se interfered with the growth and productive responses of jambu, observing, in general, that the highest responses were obtained with the dose of 2 mg L- 1.