With the aim of evaluating the effects of different recipients and substrata in the production of coffee tree seedlings (Coffea arabica L.), planted in pots inside the greenhouse, under different water stress levels, an experiment was carried out in the Section of Coffee of Department of Agriculture of Universidade Federal de Lavras - UFLA, in the period from September of 2003 to January of 2004. The experimental outline used was randomized blocks (DBC) in a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement. The recipients used were rigid polyethylene tube with a capacity of 50 mL; 120 mL tubes; and 20cm-high, 10cm-wide polyethylene sacks, with an approximate capacity of 700 mL. The second factor consisted of three substrata used for seedling production: an alternative substratum, composed of 65% of charred rice peel + 35% of commercial substratum; the commercial substratum, Plantmax vegetables HT; and the standard substratum, composed of 70% of earth + 30% of bovine drizzled manure. The third factor consisted of four intervals (2, 6, 10 and 14 days) between irrigations The results obtained allow concluding that the recipients and the substrata used significantly influenced the development of the coffee trees. 120 days after the transplantation of the seedlings to pots in the greenhouse with different levels of water stress, we could conclude that larger recipients (polyethylene sack and 120 mL tube) filled with alternative and commercial substrata provided better seedling development.
Coffea arabica; pots; tube; sacks of polyethylene
