Do doses of controlled-release fertilizer and container volume influence the quality of Hymenaea courbaril seedlings?

Abstract

: The objective was to determine the effects of doses of controlled-release fertilizer and container volume on the initial growth and quality of Hymenaea cour-baril seedlings. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme, corresponding to two container volumes (1.8 and 2.2 L) and four doses of controlled-release fertilizer (0, 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 g L -1 substrate) with eight replicates, each consisting of five seedlings (one in each container). The variables evaluated were: shoot height (H), stem diameter (SD), shoot dry mass (SDM, g plant -1 ), root dry mass (RDM, g plant -1 ), total dry mass (TDM, g plant -1 ), Dickson quality index (DQI), root volume (RV), nitrogen balance index (NBI) and chlorophylls. Controlled-release fertilizer at doses of 1.5 and 3.0 g L -1 provide Hymenaea courbaril seedlings with quality and sturdiness in both container sizes. Controlled-release fertilizer at the dose of 4.5 g L -1 is not indicated to obtain high quality standard in seedlings of Hymenaea courbaril , regardless of container volume.