Evaluation of substrates and treatments for water stress mitigation in an Enterolobium cyclocarpum (Jacq.) Griseb. plantation

Abstract

Enterolobium cyclocarpum is a multipurpose tree species whose growth and survival in plantations are unknown. The objective was to evaluate the effect of different nursery growing media and auxiliary treatments to mitigate water stress on the performance of E. cyclocarpum plants established in the field. The seeds were sown in three different types of substrates: 1) base mixture (peat, vermiculite and agrolite), 2) aerobic compost and 3) native soil. Each group of plants by type of substrate was divided into four subgroups that were assigned different auxiliary treatment to mitigate water stress: 1) irrigation, 2) hydrogel (2 g plant-1), 3) hydrogel (4 g plant-1) and 4) natural conditions (control). The results indicate that the type of substrate influences the survival and growth of the plants, being native soil the one that promotes higher values. It was found that there is a positive relationship between the diameter of the plants and the probability of survival, this variable being a basic quality indicator of the plants grown in the nursery. The auxiliary treatment of hydric stress significantly affected the growth in diameter and height, being irrigation the one that increased the values, with the exception of the diameter in the base mixture.