The experiment was carried out in nutrient solution, under greenhouse conditions at the Soil Science Department - Lavras Federal University, to evaluate the influence of different ammonium/nitrate proportions on the growth of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cultivars: Rio Tibagi, Eriparza and Carioca. Nitrogen in the nutrient solution was supplied at 4 mmol L-1 with different NH4+:NO3- proportions (0/4; 1/3; 2/2; 3/1 and 4/0). Throughout the growth period the pH of the nutrient solution was monitored. After harvesting, root and shoot dry matter were measured. The supply of both nitrogen forms to the nutrient solution in equal proportion resulted in higher dry matter production and higher nitrogen utilization efficiency than when only one of the nitrogen forms was supplied. When nitrate supplied 50% or more of the nitrogen, Carioca and Rio Tibagi showed the highest and the lowest nitrogen utilization efficiency, respectively, while with ammonium supplying 50% the situation was reversed. The detrimental effect of supplying only ammonium resulted in a drastic effect to the root system, with reduction of nutrient absorption, especially calcium.
balance NH4+:NO3-; N utilization efficiency; ionic balance