Growth of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit favored by organic waste in the Brazilian semiarid region

Francisco H C Amaral,Rafaela S A Nóbrega,José F Lustosa Filho,Júlio C A Nóbrega,Sarah P Do N Amorim

doi:10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v20n7p612-617

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sources and rates of organic waste and their interaction on the growth of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, in the Southeast region of Piauí State. The treatments consisted of two sources (Copernicia prunifera (Mill.) H.E. palm residue and plant compound) and six organic waste rates. The study was conducted in the period of March-June 2011 and the following parameters were evaluated: stem diameter, height, number of leaves, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, total dry matter, root volume, shoot dry weight/root dry weight ratio, height/stem diameter ratio and the Dickson Quality Index. The Copernicia prunifera (Mill.) H.E. palm residue and plant compound showed a great potential to be used in the manufacture of substrates for the production of seedlings Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, since their initial development was influenced by the sources and proportions of these organic residues and by the interaction between these treatments. The substrate containing 50% of plant compound produced better quality of plants of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit in their initial development stage.

Highlights

The advance of erosion processes in the Brazilian semiarid region covers some states in the Northeast and has contributed to the expansion of desertified areas
Among the plant species with such characteristics, it is possible to mention Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, which has been used in the recovery of degraded areas, as a result of its high capacity to adapt to different soil types and tolerance to climatic variations (Lins et al, 2007)
The survival potential of the plant species in the field largely depends on seedling quality, which is higher when the seedlings are formed on substrates favorable to the initial development of the plants

Summary

Introduction

The advance of erosion processes in the Brazilian semiarid region covers some states in the Northeast and has contributed to the expansion of desertified areas. In the State of Piauí, soils affected by erosion, which characterize desertification hotspots, already occupy more than 8,000 km2 Since they are located in the semiarid region, the growth and development of vegetation is very limited in this environment, making the reduction and stabilization of erosion processes more difficult, resulting in the expansion of desertified areas in the region. Among the plant species with such characteristics, it is possible to mention Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, which has been used in the recovery of degraded areas, as a result of its high capacity to adapt to different soil types and tolerance to climatic variations (Lins et al, 2007). Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit has a good ability to develop a vegetation cover, even in the driest times of the year, which contributes to the increase in soil protection against water and wind erosion. A substrate suitable to the formation of high-quality seedlings should have a high water-holding capacity and nutrient availability to plants (Cunha et al, 2006), as well as a uniform composition and accessible economic costs (Dantas et al, 2009)

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Conclusion