Peltophorum dubium (canafístula) is a fast-growing, rustic species excellent for use in combined reforestation of degraded areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of doses of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S on seedling growth and quality indices; and to determine the recommended dose of these elements for establishment of a suitable fertilization program. The study was conducted in a greenhouse using red-yellow alic latosol as substrate. The experiment was designed following a Baconian matrix, evaluating three doses of the six macronutrients and two additional treatments, one with reference doses and another with no addition of nutrients. A completely randomized design was adopted with four replicates. Analysis using orthogonal contrasts revealed a significant response from all variables being studied to application of macronutrients, except the H/D ratio. The nutrients P and N had the most significant effects, 540 mg/dm3 being the recommended dose of P, and 50 mg/dm3 being the recommended dose of N. No response was observed to application of K, Ca, Mg and S, for most traits being assessed, indicating that the species has a low requirement for these nutrients.
Plant nutrition; morphological traits; Peltophorum dubium
