Size of Containers in the Production of Flamboyant Seedlings

Everton Vinicius Zambiazzi,Fábio Steiner,Alan Mario Zuffo,Sérgio Hebron Maia Godinho,Wéverson Lima Fonseca,Joacir Mario Zuffo Júnior,Aécio Busch,André Rodrigues Salomão Pinto,Isabella Maria Monteiro Borges,Alan Eduardo Seglin Mendes

doi:10.5539/jas.v9n12p99

Abstract

The size of the container can affect the quality of the seedlings and, there is no recommendation of containers for the formation of flamboyant seedlings [Delonix regia (Bojerex Hook.) Raf]. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the production of flamboyant seedlings in different container sizes, besides performing trail analysis to identify the growth variables that characterize the quality of these seedlings. The experimental design was a randomized block design with seven container sizes (13 × 13 cm, 15 × 15 cm, 13 × 20 cm, 15 × 25 cm, 17 × 22 cm, 17 × 30 cm or 30 × 40 cm), with four replicates. Each experimental unit was composed of five containers, totaling 20 containers per treatment. The plant height, stem base diameter, number of leaves and the sturdiness quotient were measured at 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 days after emergence (DAE), and at 100 DAE were also measured the root volume, root dry matter, shoot dry matter, total dry matter, shoot/root dry matter ratio and Dickson quality index (DQI). The flamboyant seedlings have better grow when cultivated in polyethylene bags with size of 30 × 40 cm. The collar diameter, root volume, root dry matter, shoot dry matter and total dry matter are the most adequate variables to indicate the quality of flamboyant seedlings. However, because it is a rapid, simple and non-destructive measurement variable, the root collar diameter is more adequate to identify high-quality flamboyant seedlings.

Highlights

The flamboyant [Delonix regia (Bojerex Hook.) Raf] belongs to the Fabaceae - Caesalpinioideae family and is native from Madagascar; the plant is used in reforestation and afforestation programs (Lorenzi et al, 2003)
At the evaluation of the flamboyant seedlings at 20 days after emergence (DAE), we noticed that the containers with the dimensions of 15 × 25 cm, 17 × 22 cm, 17 × 30 cm, and 30 × 40 cm had the greatest values of plant height, sturdiness quotient, and number of leaves (Table 3)
At the 40 and 60 DAE, the containers with dimensions of 17 × 30 cm and 30 × 40 cm resulted in the greatest values of stem base diameter and number of leaves (Table 3)

Summary

Introduction

The flamboyant [Delonix regia (Bojerex Hook.) Raf] belongs to the Fabaceae - Caesalpinioideae family and is native from Madagascar; the plant is used in reforestation and afforestation programs (Lorenzi et al, 2003). The choice of the container’s size is very important in seedling production because containers that have a volume that is superior to the recommended one result in unnecessary expenditures with substrates, use more nursery area, and increase the costs with transportation, maintenance, and distribution of the seedlings on the field, which directly affect the seedlings’ final quality and cost (Oliveira et al, 2011; Cruz et al, 2016). The use of improper containers may result in the malformation of the seedlings’ root system in the nursery, promoting an abnormal distribution of the side and top roots, which may result in a smaller level of survival of the seedlings in the field (Mafia et al, 2005; Lima et al, 2006)

Objectives

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Results

Conclusion