Morphological quality of croton floribundus seedlings influenced by thinning along the production cycle

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the morphological quality of Croton floribundus (known by common sense as capixingui) seedlings influenced by the moment of alternation during the production process at the nursery. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design consisting of four treatments: alternation at 60, 90, 120 days after sowing and seedlings without alternation (referred as the control group), with six repetitions of 48 plants. It was analyzed height (H), the stem diameter (DC), the H/D ratio and dry matter of aerial part (ADM), root (RDM) and total (TDM), and the Dickson Quality Index (DQI). It was concluded that the best moment to perform the thinning is between 120 and 148 days, because in this treatment, the seedlings had grown enough to respond to the reduction in density, reaching at the end of the production cycle, desirable height and diameter, higher root and total dry mater.