Mudas propagadas vegetativamente de Coffea arabica tratadas com extratos de algas

Abstract

Coffee growing is of enormous importance to the whole world. Brazil, it stood out economically and socially since the arrival of the first seedlings and seeds. With good and quick adaptation to the soil and climate, Brazilian coffee has taken significant proportions in the international trade balance. However, with changes in consumption habits, alternatives have been sought for crops more sustainable. A option for these crops is using of plant biostimulants, which are of natural origin, such as algae extracts. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the development of arabica coffee seedlings propagated via cuttings, when treated with algae extracts. The work consists of two independent experiments, which were conducted in the Coffee Sector of the Department of Agriculture, using pre-formed seedlings propagated via cuttings, of the cultivar Mundo Novo. The first was set up in a randomized block design, being a 4 x 3 factorial, with four dosages (0; 2.5; 5 and 10 ml.L-1) of the 3 extracts of the algae Ascophyllum nodosum, Lithothamnium ssp. and Kappaphicus spp. The second was also in randomized blocks, testing the mixture of these extracts at a dose of 5ml.L-1. In both, shoot height, leaf area, dry leaf matter, dry stem matter, number of leaves, relative levels of chlorophyll a, b and total, leaf stomatal conductance, stomatal density and functionality, and root data were evaluated. Root dry mass, length, volume, surface area, and root diameter. The dose of 5 ml.L-1 was the one that presented the best results for the 3 algae extracts, and the algae Ascophyllum nodosum and Lithothamnium ssp. were the ones that presented the best results for the main aerial part characteristics. There were satisfactory results for the algae Ascophyllum nodosum, Lithothamnium ssp. in rooting at a dose of 5 to 10 ml.L-1. For algae Kappaphicus spp. the effect was negative. The combinations of seaweed extracts did not affect on arabica coffee seedlings. New studies should be conducted to draw better conclusions about the effect on culture.