Production of high-quality seedlings of Handroanthus spongiosus (Bignoniaceae), native to a seasonally dry tropical forest

Abstract

Studies of the use of alternative substrates have enabled producing seedlings of various species with high quality and low cost. The objective of this work was to evaluate the best cultivation conditions for production of Handroanthus spongiosus seedlings. The seeds were collected from five different populations in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, and cultivated in six substrates: soil, sand, soil + vermiculite, soil + goat manure, soil + vermiculite + goat manure, and soil + goat manure + 30% biochar. We evaluated the emergence, shoot and root length, stem base diameter, shoot and root dry mass, and Dickson quality index. The substrates with addition of organic matter favored increased shoot length, stem diameter and dry mass. The incorporation of goat manure and biochar in the substrates favored the quality of the H. spongiosus seedlings.