Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the production and chemical composition of the essential oil of Brazilian pepper fruits grown in single and double rows using different doses of semi decomposed poultry litter in two evaluation times. The experiment was carried out at the Federal University of Grande Dourados, in the city of Dourados, state o- Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, from October 2009 to November 2010. Brazilian pepper plants were grown in single and double rows in soil with incorporated poultry litter at the doses of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 t ha-1. Treatments were arranged as a 2 x 5 factorial experiment in a randomized block design with four replications. Fruits were harvested 180 and 390 days after transplant (DAT). There was a significant interaction for fresh weight of fruits and weight of 50 fruits, being the values higher at 180 DAT in the double rows with increasing poultry litter doses. Fruits harvested 390 DAT showed higher diameter compared with those harvested 180 DAT. The number of fruits per bunch was significantly influenced by the doses of poultry litter, presenting a linear increase with increasing doses. The essential oil of the Brazilian pepper fruits obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by Gas chromatography - mass spectrometry exhibited predominance of monoterpenes, highlighting α-pinene (20.14%) as the major constituent. The chemical composition of the essential oil was not influenced by the number of plant rows in the plot or by the doses of poultry litter in any evaluation time. Therefore, the cultivation of Brazilian pepper plants is recommended in double rows, with 13.59 t ha-1 of incorporated poultry litter in the soi, and with harvest of 180 DAT for higher fruit production.
Highlights
Recent movements towards naturally managed and the growing interest in managing environmental impacts of agriculture have led to the development of organic and natural fertilizers that may be suitable for commercial use
We evaluated the fresh weight of fruits, fruit diameter, number of fruits per bunch, weight of 50 fruits, and chemical composition of fruit essential oil 180 and 390 days after transplant (DAT), with results expressed by plant
Fresh weight of fruit plant-1 and weight of 50 fruits were significantly influenced by the interaction of factors such as evaluation times, doses of poultry litter, and number of plant rows in the plot
Summary
Recent movements towards naturally managed and the growing interest in managing environmental impacts of agriculture have led to the development of organic and natural fertilizers that may be suitable for commercial use. Some common materials used as organic fertilizer sources include manure-based materials (Gaskell et al, 2006; Hartz & Johnstone, 2006), such as poultry litter. Poultry litter is a valuable source of major plant nutrients and has been used as a soil amendment in agriculture (Jalali & Khanboluki, 2008). It contains high concentrations of C, N, P, K, and other nutrients (Mullins & Bendfeldt, 2001). Being a source of organic matter, poultry litter can interfere directly in the growth and production of fruits and in the partition of assimilates, besides affecting the chemical constitution of these fruits. The use of poultry litter as a source of nutrients and organic matter for medicinal plants has not been extensive
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