Influência do substrato e da morfologia da semente sobre a germinação de Bertholletia excelsa Bonpl

Abstract

The reduction in the production of fruits from native Brazil nut groves has caused concern, as it is a source of income for thousands of traditional communities. The formation of forest plantations formed by this species has been an alternative to reverse this scenario, but there are great difficulties in the propagation process of the Brazil nut tree, as the germination process is slow and uneven, which implies a relatively long time for germination and obtaining the seedling. Therefore, the objective of this research is to evaluate the effect of different substrates and seed morphology on the germination of Bertholletia excelsa. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, located in the nursery of the Secretary of Agriculture of Marabá. The substrates tested were: 1) washed white sand; 2) Coconut fiber; 3) White sand + coconut fiber in a 1:1 ratio; 4) Expanded vermiculite + vegetable soil in the proportion 1:4 and 5) White sand + vegetable soil in the proportion 1:1. Seeds were collected in 3 breeders of Bertholletia excelsa located at Sítio Felicidade, in the Rio Branco Settlement Project. After collection, the seeds were processed and biometrics were determined. Then, seeds were sown and germination percentage (G%), germination speed index (GSI) and mean germination time (MGT) were evaluated. The experimental design adopted was completely randomized with 5 treatments and 3 replications. There was influence of mass on the average time of germination, and the substrate interfered with the percentage of germination.