EFFECT OF PHOSPHATE FERTILIZATION AND BASE SATURATION OF SUBSTRATE ON THE SEEDLINGS GROWTH AND QUALITY OF Plathymenia foliolosa Benth.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the growth and quality of seedlings of Plathymenia foliolosa Benth in response to base saturation of substrate and phosphate fertilization. The treatments were arranged in a factorial design of 6 P levels (0, 120, 240, 360, 480 and 600 mg dm-3) by 5 base saturation levels (3.5, 25, 40, 55, 70 %), in randomized blocks with four replications. The height of aerial part, neck diameter, shoot dry matter, root dry matter and total dry matter were determined at 118 days after the transplanting. It was still calculated the relation shoot dry matter/root dry matter and the Dickson Quality Index. There were significant effects of the phosphate fertilization for all studied variables. The base saturation had influence on all studied variables, except for the shoot dry matter/root dry matter relation. No significant effect of the interaction between base saturation of substrate and phosphate fertilization was observed on seedlings growth and quality. For the studied conditions, it is recommended 300 mg dm-3 of P for the production of quality seedlings of Plathymenia foliolosa without the necessity of liming.