Abstract
The rubber tree rootstocks require a period in nursery to reach the grafting stage, and it is necessary the application of practices to optimize the time of seedling formations. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of apical pruning on the morphophysiological attributes of the GT1 rubber tree rootstocks. The experiment was performed from May 2014 to May 2015 and the treatments consisted in T1: without apical pruning; T2: apical pruning performed once after the third mature leaf release; T3: apical pruning performed monthly after the third mature leaf release; T4: apical pruning performed once after the fourth mature leaf release; T5: apical pruning performed monthly after the fourth mature leaf release; T6: apical pruning performed once after the fifth mature leaf release and T7: apical pruning performed monthly after the fifth mature leaf release. Measurements were performed monthly, measuring the diameter and height of the plants, from 90 to 360 DAT (days after planting transfer). At 360 DAT were evaluated: dry mass of root, stem, leaves and total dry mass; number of leaflets; length of the pivoting root; volume of the root system; leaf area and mineral element content in leaves. The apical pruning influenced stem diameter, height, dry stem mass, dry leaf mass and leaf area of plants. Plants submitted to apical pruning showed dry root mass, total dry mass, root length, root volume and number of leaflets similar to those not budded. The treatments with monthly apical pruning showed a higher concentration of mineral elements in the leaves. The apical pruning performed monthly after the fourth mature leaf release allowed the development in diameter of the rootstocks of the rubber tree in a period similar to the plants not blossomed, but ally to a smaller height, which facilitates the cultural treatments.
Keywords:
Hevea brasiliensis; Seedling production; Plant growth management; Suspended nursery