SHADING LEVELS AND PLANT GROWTH REGULATOR FOR FORMATION OF SCHIZOLOBIUM AMAZONICUM COMPACT SEEDLINGS

ABSTRACT Paricá (Schizolobium amazonicum) can be used for rehabilitation of degraded lands, timber manufacturing markets. However, for its planting, high-quality seedlings should be used. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different types of paclobutrazol (PBZ) application and two shading levels on high-quality seedling production. As there was no replication of cultivation environments, we considered each one of them as an experiment. For each environment (35 and 50% shading screen), a completely randomized design was adopted, testing combinations of two types of PBZ application (direct seed immersion in 0.005% PBZ solution; substrate hydration with 0.005% PBZ solution; and 50% seed hydration and 50% substrate hydration; plus, a control), with five replications and five seedlings per plot. The environments were evaluated by analysis of groups of experiments. Seedling growth was evaluated. Under 50% shading, Paricá seedlings had better growth conditions. Application of 100% PBZ in substrate provided compact seedlings with larger dry root phytomass, besides being more practical.