Seedling production of Jatropha curcas in substrates fertilized with lithothamnium

Abstract

Seedlings of high quality are essential for the deployment of homogeneous plants. Thus, was evaluated the formation of seedlings of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) in different substrates fertilized with fertilizer-based lithothamnium. It was used substrates I) mixed of: never cultivated soil, cattle manure and sand in proportions: 3:1:1 volume/volume (v/v); II) commercial substrate Tropstrato^®; III) cattle manure and carbonized rice straw in proportions: 1:1 (v/v); IV) birds manure, carbonized rice straw and never cultivated soil in proportions: 1:1:4, and V) fine vermiculite. Lithothamnium fertilizer levels used were 0%, 5% and 10% (v/v), respectively. The experimental design used was randomize blocks with factorial of 5x3 (five different substrates and three different lithothamnium doses) and four replication. Lithothamnium doses and substrates influenced the seedling growth of Jatropha. Seedlings fertilized with the substrates soil with mineral fertilizers (substrates 1); compost with manure and carbonized rice hulls (Substrate 3); soil with hatchery compost (Substrate 4) fertilized with a dose of 6.8% (v/v) lithothamnium showed the best result.