Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the interdependence between the morphological characteristics and the pullout resistance of live cuttings of Phyllanthus sellowianus . Vertical pullout tests and shoot and root diameter and length measurements were performed in 144 live cuttings, with 2.5 cm in diameter and 50 cm in length, planted in 1x1 m spacing. The evaluations were performed at 60, 133, 186, 252, 320, and 421 days after planting, and the differences between mean growth and vertical pullout resistance values were analyzed using the Tukey test and linear regression equations. The plants showed the highest mean total shoot length (875 cm), total root length (405 cm), and vertical pullout resistance (1.5 kN) values between 252 and 421 days after planting. The plants increased their pullout resistance at an average rate of 0.20 kN/month in the most favorable growth periods, followed by average increments in the total shoot and root length of 118.4 and 57.1 cm/month, respectively. The pullout resistance showed positive correlations with all above- and below-ground morphological characteristics tested, but it was best explained by the cross-sectional area of shoots (mm²) which showed r² = 0.55. The biometric variables of P. sellowianus propagated from cuttings generally explained up to half of the variations in the species’ pullout resistance.
Highlights
Soil bioengineering solutions use live and inert materials for erosion control, slope, and streambank stabilization (SCHIECHTL; STERN 1996)
In view of the above, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between above- and below-ground biometric characteristics and the anchoring capacity of live cuttings of Phyllanthus sellowianus using the coefficient of determination (r2) generated from linear equations
Growth and vertical pullout resistance values increase together until the end of autumn (252-days old), decrease with dormancy period in winter (320-days old), and return to growth in the spring (421 days old). These similar variations point to a strong correlation between shoot characteristics, root system characteristics, and vertical pullout resistance
Summary
Soil bioengineering solutions use live and inert materials for erosion control, slope, and streambank stabilization (SCHIECHTL; STERN 1996). Live materials are usually composed of plants, cuttings, and seeds, and inert materials by wood, rock, steel, synthetic polymers, and natural fibers (GRAY; SOTIR 1996). Inert materials have more homogeneous properties and more technical information to answer the engineer’s needs during project phases in comparison to living materials (MAFFRA et al, 2017; MAFFRA; SUTILI, 2020). Live material properties are more difficult to measure and precisely quantify since genetic and environmental conditions control them. R. B. et al ISSN eletrônico 1982-4688 parameters (e.g., root strength), partially explain the technical information scarcity and absence of standard methods to evaluate plants’ contributions to soil protection and reinforcement (SOUSA et al, 2020)
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