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.

A adubação orgânica pode conferir maior produtividade ao sistema de produção de hortaliças por melhorar a qualidade do solo e aumentar a rentabilidade do olericultor. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência da aplicação de diferentes resíduos orgânicos no crescimento e na produção de rúcula. O experimento foi realizado na Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, em Cassilândia-MS, em condições de ambiente protegido. Os tratamentos foram constituídos da aplicação isolada ou combinada de diferentes fontes de resíduos orgânicos: 1) esterco de aves (EA); 2) esterco bovino (EB); 3) torta de filtro (TF); 4) esterco de aves + esterco bovino (EA +EB); 5) esterco de aves + torta de filtro (EA+TF); 6) esterco bovino + torta de filtro (EB+TF) e, 7) esterco de aves + esterco bovino + torta de filtro (EA+ EB+ TF). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado com cinco repetições de três plantas. As plantas de rúcula foram cultivadas em vasos de 5 L preenchidos com um Neossolo Quartzarênico, por um período de 43 dias. A adubação com esterco de aves de forma isolada ou combinada com esterco bovino e/ou torta de filtro favoreceu o crescimento das plantas, resultando no aumento de produtividade da cultura da rúcula.

The Achachairu (Garcinia humilis) is a Bolivian exotic fruit that has been produced and commercialized a few years in Brazil. Information about the production of high quality seedlings is essential for the implementation and the renewal of orchards. The objective was to evaluate protected environments and substrates for Achachairu seedlings. Two protected environments were evaluated, one covered with aluminized thermal reflector screen of 50% of shading and the other with Sombrite® of 50% of shading. Inside the protected environments were tested substrates derived from combinations of various proportions of cattle manure (CM), ravine soil (RS), medium vermiculite (MV), super fine vermiculite (FV) and sand (S). For each protected environment was adopted a completely randomized design with 5 replications of 5 seedlings. Protected environments were compared by analysis of groups of experiments. All substrates studied formed high quality seedlings for the implementation of Garcinia orchards, with low rates of aerial and root phytomasses, low rates between height and stem diameter, providing higher Dickson quality index. The Aluminet® promoted the best seedlings with larger shoot, root and total dry mass.

O tamanho da semente é um importante indicador físico da qualidade fisiológica das sementes, pois pode afetar a taxa de germinação e o crescimento inicial das plântulas. Neste contexto, o presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos do tamanho das sementes e da inoculação de Bradyrhizobium japonicum e Azospirillum brasilense de forma isolada ou combinada na emergência das plântulas, nodulação das raízes e no crescimento inicial das plantas de amendoim (Arachis hypogaea L., cv. IAC Tatu ST). As plantas foram cultivadas em vasos plásticos de 8,0 L preenchidos com um solo arenoso do Cerrado e mantidas sob condições de casa-de-vegetação. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso em esquema fatorial 3 × 4 com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por três tamanho de sementes (pequena, média e grande) e por quatro tratamentos de inoculação: i) controle (sem inoculação); ii) inoculação das sementes com Bradyrhizobium japonicum; iii) inoculação das sementes com Azospirillum brasilense; e, iv) coinoculação das sementes com B. japonicum e A. brasilense. Os resultados reportaram que a utilização de sementes grandes melhorou a nodulação das raízes, o crescimento das plantas, o acúmulo e a partição de matéria seca das plantas. Portanto, a implantação da cultura do amendoim deve ser realizada com a utilização de sementes de maior tamanho (grandes), por proporcionar sustentabilidade para o sistema de produção de amendoim, melhorando a fixação biológica de nitrogênio e o crescimento das plantas cultivadas em solos arenosos do Cerrado Sul-mato-grossense. A coinoculação das sementes com B. japonicum e A. brasilense melhorou a nodulação das raízes e a altura das plantas, no entanto, não teve efeito no crescimento, na partição de matéria seca e nos índices morfofisiológicos das plantas de amendoim, quando cultivadas em solos arenosos do Cerrado sob condições controladas.

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).

Demand for agricultural products with zero or reduced amounts of agrochemicals leads to increasingly healthy production alternatives. Thus, seedling formation and fruit yield of three cucumber cultivars were evaluated on different organic substrates in a protected environment. Marketer, Caipira and Verde Comprido cultivars were grown on five substrates: 100% cassava stems + 0% cattle manure; 75% cassava stems + 25% cattle manure; 50% cassava stems + 50% cattle manure; 25% cassava stems + 75% cattle manure and 0% cassava stems + 100% cattle manure. A completely randomized design in a 5 x 3 factorial scheme (5 substrates X 3 cultivars) was used, with six replications of four seedlings in the seedling formation phase and five replications of two plants in the fruit production phase. The seedlings were produced in trays with 72 cells, and fruit production was conducted in 13-liter pots. There was a little influence of the substrates on the emergence of cucumber cultivars: the substrates with 75 and 100% of cattle manure provided the best conditions for seedling formation, as well as the highest yield and the largest amount of fruits. On the best substrates, the cultivar Caipira had fruits with higher mass and larger average fruit diameter, but in smaller numbers.