Desenvolvimento de mudas de alface a partir de sementes armazenadas e enriquecidas com micronutrientes e reguladores de crescimento

Abstract

The success of the production of vegetable seedlings depends on the use of high quality seeds. In general, the seeds of the vegetable species for being very small possess a small amount of reserve and therefore, its enrichment with micronutrients and growth regulators, becomes a very important technology to increase the vigor of seeds and produce high quality seedlings. Thus, this study was intended to evaluate the effect of the treatment of lettuce seeds with micronutrients and growth regulators and of storage in the production and growth of the seedlings. The seeds were treated with chemicals Starter®, Cellerate® and Stimulate® at the dosages corresponding to 0%, 50%, 100%, 150% and 200% of the dose recommended by the manufacturer, utilizing the film-coating technique. The evaluations were performed at 0, 6 and 12 months of storage by the following parameters: number, height, shoot and root dry weight and absolute and relative growth rate of seedlings. The seedlings were produced on polystyrene trays containing the commercial substrate Plantmax® in a greenhouse with controlled temperature and automated irrigation system. The completely randomized design in factorial scheme 3 x 5, namely, three chemicals and five dosages, with four replicates was utilized. The variables relative and absolute growth rates were not submitted to the statistical analysis. It follows that the chemicals Cellerate® and Stimulate® incorporated to the seeds, before storage, provoked reductions in the number of lettuce seedlings, independent of the dosage utilized and Stimulate® provided increase in the seedlings ́ height; there is a reduction in the growth of the lettuce seedlings after storage with or without treatment.