With the objective of evaluating the effects of different recipients and substrates on the production of coffee tree seedlings (Coffea arabica L.), an experiment was carried out at the Coffee Sector of the Universidade Federal de Lavras, MG - UFLA, in the period of September 2003 to January 2004. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design using a 3x3 factorial scheme. The recipients used were rigid polyethylene tubettes /50 mL capacity; tubettes /120 mL; and 10x20cm polyethylene bags with approximate capacity of 700 mL. The substrates used were alternative substrate, composed of 65% charred rice hulls + 35% commercial substrate; Plantmax HT®; and standard substrate, composed of 70% soil + 30% (sieved) cattle manure. The results obtained brought us to the conclusion that the type of recipient and substrate, in fact, significantly influence the development of coffee tree seedlings; and the recipients of larger volume (polyethylene bags and 120mL tubettes) filled with alternative and commercial substrates provide seedlings with improved growth rate.
Tubette; polyethylene bags; charred rice hulls
