With the ever-increasing search for alternatives by producers and demand for exotic fruits by consumers, the market for fruits species has grown considerably. In this context, the pitaya has been sought not only for its exotic appearance, but also for its organoleptic characteristics. The present research was conducted with the objective of evaluating the influence of the substrate volume in the development of seedlings of red pitaya, by using polystyrene trays expanded with different volumes of cells: 10, 15, 30 and 65 mL. The evaluations, conducted during 90 days, evaluated: survival percentage; number and height of stems (cm); largest root length (cm); fresh and dry masses of the stems and roots (g). The delineation was entirely randomized. The values of survival percentage were transformed in arc sin and the averages were compared by the Tukey test at 5%. The survival and vegetative development for seedlings of red pitaya were directly proportional to the volume of the substrate used. In order to form seedlings of red pitaya from seeds, the use of containers with 65 mL of capacity is recommended.
seeds; stems; growth; height
