Our objective was to evaluate the growth and quality of marupá (Simarouba amara Aubl.) seedlings with root system pruning in different shadings. The experiment was undertaken at the INPA Tropical Forestry Experimental Station, in Manaus (AM), located at highway BR-174, km 43. The seeds were processed and sown at a depth of 1 cm in washed sand. The seedlings were transplanted to plastic bags containing 3 parts subsoil, 1 sand, and 0.5 chicken manure fertilizer. After pruning their roots at 0%, 25%, 50% and 75%, for 30 days the seedlings remained under the shed, irrigated daily and then planted in beds covered with screens of 30%, 50%, 70% and 0% ( without shading). Each plot contained 35 seedlings including simple edge. Five seedlings (repetitions) were assessed at random at 57, 139 and 182 days in nurseries. The data were analyzed by factorial 4 x 4 in the first and 3 x 4 in the other measurements. We studied the total height (HT), diameter of the colon (DC), number of leaves, leaf area, dry weight of roots, stems and leaves of the seedlings, the quality index of Dickson, and the relationship HT/DC. The seedlings were attacked by caterpillars in beds without shading and survival was over 83% in shaded beds. The seedlings survived pruning, and at 182 days, showed higher quality for plantations, and better growth balanceunder 50% shade.
Forest species; Silviculture; Reforestation; native Amazon species and Pioneer species
