GROWTH AND NUTRITION OF BANANA SEEDLINGS IN SUBSTRATE CONTENT AGROINDUSTRY RESIDUES OF THE BLACK TEA DURING ACCLIMATIZATION

Abstract

This work had for objective to evaluate the viability of the use of residues of the agroindustry of black tea as component of substrate for acclimatization of micropropagated banana seedlings. Two experiments were installed in which Grand Naine variety of seedlings were acclimatized in subsoil land + carbonized rice hull + commercial substrate Rendimax Floreira^® or subsoil land + carbonized rice hull + residue of tea decomposed, in proportion 1:1:1 (v/v/v). In the first experiment, seedlings grown in the substrate containing decomposed residue of tea had lower growth when compared to plants grown on substrate containing Rendimax FloreiraÒ, even when N-P₂O₅-K₂O fertilizer was used with normal release of nutrients. In the second experiment, where fertilizer was used for controlled release of nutrients, there were no significant differences in height, base stem diameter, dry matter accumulation and levels of macronutrients in the shoots between seedlings grown in the two substrates.