ABSTRACT
Locally known as sucará, Gleditschia amorphoides besides being a woody species, it can be used in plantations used for the rehabilitation of degraded areas. Therefore, the objective of the current work was to evaluate the seedling growth, over time produced under different substrates. The experiment was made at the UNIOESTE nursery in Santa Helena district, in Paraná state, using direct sowing in polypropylene sized tubes of 200cm3. Different mixtures were tested as substrate, containing Plantmax(r), decomposed leaves residue, sawdust, litter, cattle manure and carbonized rice hulls. Monthly, during 180 days, evaluations of height and diameter of the lap were made, analyzed by a completely randomized design, with 5 replicates of 12 seedlings, in a subdivided plot scheme in time. At the end of the experiment, root dry mass and aerial part dry mass, the relation between these variables and the leaf area, were determined for 12 seedlings each treatment, in a completely randomized design. The water-holding capacity, substrate total porosity and pH were determined. All data were submitted to variance analysis and the means compared by the Tukey's test. In general, all substrates provided gradual increase in the diameter of the lap and seedling height. Seedlings produced in 50% of Plantmax(r)+ 20% of carbonized rice hulls + 30% of cattle manure provided bigger diameter (4,5mm) and seedlings height (22,7 cm), as well as bigger root dry mass and aerial part dry mass (0,88 and 1,62g, respectively) followed by seedlings produced in 50% of Plantmax(r)+ 20% of carbonized rice hulls + 20% of cattle manure + 10% leaf residue with 4,0mm and 19,7mm, for diameter and height respectively. In these experimental conditions, Sucará seedlings produced in 50% of Plantmax(r)+ 20% of carbonized rice hulls + 30% of cattle manure presented bigger growth.
Keywords:
Sucará; seedlings production; native species