Desenvolvimento de mudas de açaí submetidas a diferentes doses de adubação NPK

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the development of açaí seedlings (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) subjected to different doses of NPK fertilization. The experiment was conducted at the Production Technology Laboratory (LATEP) of the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), in a completely randomized design, with four treatments: 0 without fertilization, 10, 20, and 30 g of NPK per seedling, respectively, which represented 0, 3, 6, and 9 t.ha -1 of NPK (10:10:10) and five replicates per treatment. Biometric variables of plant height, stem diameter, and number of leaves were analyzed, in addition to relative water content, photosynthetic pigments, and dry matter production and allocation. At the end of the experiment, the data obtained were submitted to analysis of variance and Tukey's test for comparison of means. The application of increasing doses of NPK had a direct effect on the growth and physiology of acai seedlings. The intermediate dose (3 t ha−1) stood out for promoting the highest biometric growth, adequate levels of photosynthetic pigments, and better water balance, reflecting greater biomass accumulation. Higher doses, on the other hand, reduced seedling vigor and caused symptoms of nutritional and osmotic stress, resulting in lower physiological efficiency and even mortality at high concentrations. Thus, it is concluded that moderate fertilization with NPK 10:10:10 is the most efficient for the initial development of açaí in nursery conditions, favoring the formation of healthy, balanced seedlings suitable for transplanting. Therefore, we recommend adopting a dose of 3 t ha−1 as a reference for the nutritional management of the species, avoiding both nutrient deficiency and excess, which compromise the growth and quality of the seedlings.