SOIL CHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF YERBA MATE LEAVES

Yerba mate ( Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) is a raw material used in making a beverage whose chemical composition can be altered by the growing environment and the management adopted during its cultivation. Thus, it is essential that scientific studies are undertaken to understand the chemical composition of yerba mate related to its growing environment. The aim of this work was to determine the elemental composition in the leaves of yerba mate from native cultivations that had never received fertilization and liming, from the Southern Region of the state of Parana, Brazil. Soil and leaf samples were collected at 11 sites located in the municipalities of Sao Mateus do Sul, Mallet, Sao Joao do Triunfo, and Lapa. Leaf analyzes were performed in an Optical Emission Spectrometer with Inductively Coupled Plasma. The mean concentrations observed (mg kg -1 ), in decreasing order, were: Ca – 7880; K – 7310; Mn – 2418; - Mg – 820; P – 720; Al – 474; Fe – 231; B – 78; Zn – 62; Ba - 62; Cu – 8.9; Ni – 5.6; Cr – 0.82; V – 0.53; Co – 0.17. The Mn concentrations were directly correlated with Al 3+ saturation and inversely correlated with base saturation, pH, and the available Ca 2+ , demonstrating that changes among these soil components can significantly modify the Mn concentrations in the yerba mate leaves. The high concentrations of Mn and Al in the leaves of yerba mate demonstrate the adaptation of this species to acidic soils with high saturation of Al 3+ .