Quality of rubber tree rootstock seedlings grown in protected environments and alternative substrates

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the quality of Hevea brasiliensis seedlings, a GT1 clone, produced in protected environments in a variety of substrates. The treatments consisted of 13 substrates composed of combinations of cattle manure, soil from a ravine, medium vermiculite, superfine vermiculite and washed fine sand and two environments: a greenhouse with 50% shade using aluminized screen and a plant nursery with 50% shade using a Sombrite® screen. There were no replications of the environments; therefore, each one was considered an experiment. For each environment, a completely randomized experimental design with five replications was used to evaluate the substrates. Subsequently, the average squares of the residuals of individual variance analyses of these treatments (substrates) were evaluated, and because they did not exceed an approximate ratio of 7:1, a combined analysis of experiments was performed with Sisvar software. Two hundred eighty days after sowing, the dry weight, plant height, stem diameter, diameter at five centimeters above soil and the seedling quality indices were evaluated. Results indicated that substrates with a low amount of manure and sand and a high amount of vermiculite (S9 and S13) produced rubber tree seedlings of high-quality. The environment with greater radiation availability was better for the development of high-quality rubber tree seedlings.