Avaliação do crescimento inicial do quiabeiro (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Mo- ench) em diferentes substratos

Abstract

The culture of okra was introduced in Brazil by African peoples, having great representation in the country's cuisine, and being widely cultivated by family farming due to its ease of cultivation and low cost. However, studies aimed at maximizing okra production, such as the use of fertigation associated with different substrates, are still scarce in the literature. In this context, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the initial growth of okra in different substrates under a fertigation system. The experiment was conducted in the Lago Verde Community, rural area of the municipality of Juruti-Pará, installed in DIC, with 5 treatments and 6 repetitions, namely: T1 - Sand; T2 - Commercial substrate; T3 - 50% Sand + 50% Commercial substrate; T4 - 50% sand + 50% crushed acai seed; and T5 - 50% commercial substrate + 50% crushed acai seed. The cultivar used was the Quimbombo Okra, from the Feltrin brand, purchased at the local market. The sowing took place in a commercial substrate in a plastic tray containing 50 cells, and after 14 days of germination, the seedlings were transplanted into 20 L polyethylene bags with the respective substrates. In the fertigation system, the commercial product of the brand Plantpar was used, in accordance with the stages of development, with a water application rate of 3L/day. Irrigation took place during the times with mild temperatures, early in the morning or late in the afternoon, as well as the necessary cultural practices. A total of 8 measurements were taken weekly, evaluating the following variables: Plant height (PH); Stem diameter (SD); Total number of leaves (TNL), and Number of flower buds (NFB) all with 6 repetitions per treatment. At the end of the experiment, using destructive methodology, 3 repetitions were randomly selected within each treatment for the determination of fresh weight (FWPA) and dry weight (DWPA) of the aerial part. The results obtained for the variables DC, AP, and NTF showed that the treatments T1, T2, and T3 were superior compared to the others. As for the evaluations related to FWPA and DWPA, treatments T1 and T3 stood out with the highest averages, being statistically similar to each other. On the other hand, T4 showed the worst results for all variables. In light of this, based on the evaluated period, the treatments that showed the best initial development of the okra plant were T1 (Sand), T2 (Commercial substrate) and T3 (50% sand + 50% commercial substrate).