A fase de formação de mudas frutíferas é muito importante para implantação ou renovação de pomares. O trabalho avaliou níveis de sombreamento, material refletor em bancadas de cultivo e profundidade de semeadura para mudas de jambolão, na Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Unidade Universitária de Cassilândia – MS. Foram avaliados quatro níveis de sombreamento 0, 18, 30 e 50%, dois tipos de bancadas (com e sem material refletor de papel alumínio) e duas profundidades de semeadura (2 e 4 cm). Nos ambientes o experimento foi conduzido em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 2 x 2 com 5 repetições. Os ambientes foram comparados pela análise conjunta. Foram avaliados os parâmetros de crescimento e razões biométricas. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas por testes de médias, a 5% de probabilidade. Não se recomenda a produção de mudas de jambolão a pleno sol (0% de sombreamento). Os ambientes protegidos de 18 e 30% propiciaram as melhores mudas de jambolão. Houve influência do material refletor na bancada de cultivo de jambolão, promovendo as melhores mudas no ambiente de 30% de sombreamento. A semeadura com 2 cm de profundidade promoveu maior velocidade de emergência, altura, diâmetro e fitomassas em mudas de jambolão.

Papaya is characterized as one of the most important crops in Brazil. Thus, good quality seedlings are essential for formation of orchards in agricultural production. This study aimed to evaluate shading levels and substrate compositions for production of papaya seedlings. Growing environments were evaluated with 0, 18, 35, and 50% shading and substrates from combinations (%) of hillside soil (HS), cattle manure (CM), Bioplant ® (BP), washed fine sand (FS), and super fine-grained vermiculite (FV). As there was no replication for the growing environments, the group of experiments were analyzed using a 4 × 4 factorial arrangement (4 shades × 4 substrates), with five replications. Growth and biometric relationships were analyzed. Substrates consisting of 30% HS + 15% CM + 20% BP + 20% FS + 15% FV and 45% HS + 0% CM + 20% BP + 20% FS + 15% FV, as well as environments with 18 and 35% shading formed seedlings with higher plant heights, diameters, phytomass, and Dickson quality indices. The results showed that substrates with a higher content of hillside soil and lower content of cattle manure, associated with an environment with 18 or 35% shading, provided high-quality seedlings.

The study aimed to evaluate the influence of reflective materials on the cultivation bench and the use of rice husks over the substrate in the formation of Dipteryxalata seedlings. The experiment was carried out in the experimental area of the Mato Grosso do Sul State University, in Cassilândia-MS, from November 1st, 2016 to January 26th, 2017. A completely randomized design in a 5 x 2 factorial scheme was used, with five replications and five plants per plot. Four reflective material for the cultivation bench and treatment without reflective material (control), combined with or without rice husks over the substrate (0.5 cm layer), were evaluated. Laminated paper tray, mirror, reflective fabric (known as “fake sequin fabric”), and aluminum foil were used as reflective materials. The reflecting materials did not differ in the reflectance of photosynthetically active radiation. However, the mirror and the aluminum foil reflected more than the control. The use of rice husk over the substrate did not increase the Dipteryxalata seedlings' quality. The mirror as a reflective material produced Dipteryxalata seedlings of higher quality than the system without material reflector called control.

The priming may promote greater expression of the physiological potential of the seeds and contribute to the germination process under adverse environmental conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological potential of eggplant seeds primed with different chemical agents and exposed to adverse temperatures. Seeds were subjected to priming with five chemical agents [unprimed (control); water (hydropriming); calcium nitrate (0.2%); amino acid L-phenylalanine (0.05%); L-phenylalanine (0.05%) + calcium nitrate (0.2%)] and at temperatures of 15, 25, 35 and 41 ºC, considering a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement (5 × 4) with four replicates. The first count of radicle emission and germination, final radicle emission, seed germination, radicle emission rate index, mean radicle emission time, and seedling dry mass were measured. Germination process of eggplant seeds was completely inhibited at 41 ºC, and the optimal temperature for seed germination is 25 ºC. Calcium nitrate priming potentiates the seed germination process, resulting in higher radicle emission rate index and higher germination rate. Low temperature (15 ºC) has greater interference in the germination rate of eggplant seeds when compared to high temperature (35 ºC).