Nutrient Composition of Abaca (<i>Musa textilis</i>Nee) at Seedling, Vegetative, and Flagleaf Stages of Growth

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study was carried out through destructive sampling in which sample plants were partitioned as root, pseudostem, and leaf tissues for the determination of macro- and micronutrients present in the sample. Essential elements were analyzed following standard protocol. Regardless of the stage of growth of the plant, K ion dominates in the pseudostem tissue, which is also associated with the high concentration of this particular element in the harvested fiber. Among the micronutrients, Fe and Zn dominate in the root tissue. K and Fe were found to be the dominant macro- and microelements present in the fiber, respectively, which pose a potential risk to nutrient depletion due to crop removal. KEYWORDS: Abaca Musa textilis mineral nutrient compositionnatural fiberfiber crops