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Efect of the root trainers size on seedling quality of Jatobá (Hymenaea courbaril L. var. stilbocarpa (Hayne) Lee et Lang.), Ipê-amarelo (Tabebuia chrysotricha (Mart. ex DC.) Sandl.) and Guarucaia (Parapiptadenia rigida (Benth.) Brenan)

The increasing need for forest restoration projects, because of the deforestation and illegal exploitation of wood, has demanded studies on the production and quality of forest tree seedlings. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of different sizes of root trainers (polypropylene containers) on the quality of seedlings of native tree species of different successional groups. The treatments were the combination of three species: Hymenaea courbaril (jatobá), Tabebuia chrysotricha (ipê-amarelo) and Parapiptadenia rigida (guarucaia) and three sizes of root trainer for sowing: 50 cm³; 110 cm³ and 300 cm³. It was used a random block design with four replications. The quality of the seedlings was evaluated through the attributes: height, stem diameter; leaf area; aerial section dry matter and root system dry matter and Dickson's index of quality. The increase in root trainer size provided expressive gains in the height of seedlings of guarucaia (up to 92%), and smaller gains for seedling of jatobá (up to 14%), which was attributed to the higher growth rate of the first species, characteristic of beginning of ecologic succession. Seedlings of Ipê-amarelo presented considerable gains in biomass of the root system (51 to 229%) with the increase of size of root trainer. In all three species, the 300-cm³ root trainer provided seedlings with heights and stem diameter greater than those produced in the other root trainer, making it possible to reduce by 70 days the production time of the seedlings.

Root trainer; Seedling quality; Native tree species


Sociedade de Investigações Florestais Universidade Federal de Viçosa, CEP: 36570-900 - Viçosa - Minas Gerais - Brazil, Tel: (55 31) 3612-3959 - Viçosa - MG - Brazil
E-mail: rarvore@sif.org.br