This experiment was designed to evaluate the effect of slow-releasing fertilizer and substrates on the growth of coffee seedlings, in order to generate parameters to allow classification and the standardization of the seedling quality. Seeds from Coffea arabica L. cv. Catuaí Vermelho IAC 99 were sowing in plastic containners (120mL volume) and conducte in a nursery covered with polipropileno screen with 50% shade. The experimental design consisted of factorial randomized blocks: two substrates (a commercial and vermicompost of cow manure and carbonized rice hull in 4:1 v/v proportion) x 5 doses of slow-releasing fertilizer (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20kg m-3 of substrate). The evaluation was carried out five months after emergence. The evaluated parameters were: root dry mass, stem dry mass, leaf dry mass, total dry mass, number of leaves, foliar area, stem diameter, shoot height, shoot/root ratio, plant height/stem diameter ratio and the Dickson quality index. Both substrates needed fertilizer to produce seedlings with minimal commercial quality. The recommended dosage of slow-releasing fertilizer for coffee seedlings production was 10kg.m-3. The seedlings that grew in slow-releasing fertilizer (10kg.m-3) fertilized Plantmax® presented: plant height/stem diameter ratio equal 4:0; Dickson quality index 2.10, and the shoot dry mass/root dry mass ratio, equal 4.7.
Coffea arabica L.; nursery; fertilizer; Dickson index
