Tube Volumes and Fertilization Management in Acrocarpus fraxinifolius Seedlings

Abstract

Acrocarpus fraxinifolius, known as Indian cedar, has little forestry development in Brazil. Thus, the objective of this study was to find the best relation between nutrition and container (tube) volume in seedlings of this species. The experiment was carried out in a 2 × 8 factorial scheme (2 containers and 8 fertilizers), with polypropylene tubes of 50 and 110 cm³ being tested, and the following fertilization treatments: one control, 4 increasing doses of osmocotee plus: 3, 5, 7, 9 kg per m³ of substrate, and fractionated mineral fertilizations with cover manure. It was possible to note that the tube with the highest volume (110 cm³) presented better results for the morphological characteristics. However, when analyzing the physiological variables, it is clear that the 50 cm³ tubes presented similar results to the largest volume tube when well fertilized. It is concluded that the indicated to form seedlings of the species is the combination of tubes of 50 cm³ with the fertilization or double of this recommendation.

Keywords:
Indian cedar; fractional fertilization; osmocotee