Cost reduction and quality enhancement in passion fruit seedlings using alternative substrate

Abstract

Obtaining vigorous, quality seedlings is a complex task because it involves multiple physical, chemical and biological factors, with the substrate being a fundamental of this process. Therefore, this study proposes to evaluate different formulations of substrate mixtures and identify which provides better emergence vigor and shoot and root growth in passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims). The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design consisting of 23 substrates with different proportions of Vivatto® and Osmocote®, washed sand, soil, fine coal, coarse coal, enriched hydrogel and enriched vermiculite, with and without the addition of NPK, which were distributed into four replications of four plants per plot. To enrich the hydrogel and vermiculite, foliar fertilizer was used. Emergence vigor was evaluated throughout the seedling emergence period and seedling growth parameters were observed at 60 days after sowing. The data were subjected to multivariate analysis and the groups formed were subjected to analysis of variance. Based on principal component analysis (PCA), four groups were identified. The group composed only of soil + coarse coal and enriched hydrogel (2:2:1) was considered the best treatment, as it favored most of the vegetative growth and emergence vigor traits. Soil plus sand with the addition of NPK was not recommended to grow passion fruit seedlings in any of the proportions used, as there was no emergence.