ABSTRACT Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) is a species with promising potential for commercial production; therefore, studies involving practices of conducting culture in the initial stage are essential. The present study aimed to evaluate different shading levels and substrate compositions in the seedling production of tamarind. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 4×4 factorial scheme, four levels of shading (0%, 18%, 30%, and 50%) and four substrates (pine bark-based substrate pure and mixed with 50% vermiculite, and sphagnum peat-based substrate pure and mixed with 50% vermiculite), with four replicates of four seedlings. Growth and biometric relationships were evaluated at 40 and 98 d after transplantation (DAT). The results reported that seedlings formed on the sphagnum peat-based substrate on pure or associated with vermiculite at 98 DAT had a height greater than 35 cm and a total 8.5 g DM. In contrast, seedlings produced in pine bark-based substrate did not reach 20 cm in height and had less than 3 g total DM. The condition of 30% and 50% shading promoted greater growth in height, reaching an average height greater than 40 cm, while in the full sun environment, seedlings showed an average of less than 35 cm; however, for the other variables, full sun environment did not differ from 30% shading, producing good quality seedlings. Thus, the cultivation of seedlings in an environment with 0% or 30% shading, associated with the sphagnum peat-based substrate pure or mixed with 50% vermiculite promoted the production of tamarind seedlings with vigorous growth. In the best environments, the best substrates increased, on average, 41.3% number of leaves, 80.5% shoot dry mass, 56.8% root dry mass, and 71.0% total dry mass. In the best substrates, the best environments increased, on average, 18.0% number of leaves, 20.7% shoot dry mass, 8.7% root dry mass, and 14.3% total dry mass.

ABSTRACT The study aimed to evaluate the growth of ornamental cherry tomato plants in different protected environments and reflective materials on the cultivation benches. As there were no repetitions of the protected environments, each environment was considered an experiment. In each environment, the experimental design used was completely randomized with five replications and three plants per plot. From the analysis of individual variances and evaluation of the mean squares of residues smaller than seven, the joint analysis of variance was performed (three protected environments x three reflective materials on the cultivation bench + 1 control without material). The protected environments evaluated were the agricultural greenhouse with a screen of 42-50% shading under the film, the agricultural screenhouse with a black screen of 30% shading, and the agricultural screenhouse with an aluminized screen of 35% shading. The reflective materials on the cultivation bench were Aluminet®, white Formica laminate, and red Formica laminate. The different protected environments influenced the growth of plants, and due to the lower incident light, the plants showed greater height in the agricultural greenhouse (42-50% shading). The reflective benches did not interfere with plant height but favored fruit production. The agricultural greenhouse (42-50% shading)) stands among the environments. For the reflective materials on the bench, aluminized fabric and red Formica laminate stood out, as they favored the growth of cherry tomato plants with desirable ornamental traits, such as greater fruit production.

RESUMO Objetivou-se com esse trabalho avaliar o crescimento de plantas ornamentais de tomateiro cereja em diferentes ambientes protegidos e materiais refletores sobre as bancadas de cultivo. Por não haver repetições dos ambientes protegidos, cada ambiente foi considerado um experimento. Em cada ambiente, o delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado com cinco repetições e três plantas por parcela. A partir das análises de variâncias individuais e avaliação dos quadrados médios dos resíduos menor que sete foi realizada a análise conjunta (três ambientes protegidos x três materiais refletores sobre a bancada de cultivo + 1 uma testemunha sem material). Os ambientes protegidos avaliados foram a estufa agrícola com tela de 42-50% de sombreamento sob o filme, o telado agrícola com tela preta de 30% de sombreamento e o telado agrícola com tela aluminizada de 35% de sombreamento. Os materiais refletores sobre a bancada de cultivo foram o Aluminet®, o laminado de fórmica branca e o laminado de fórmica vermelha. Os diferentes ambientes protegidos influenciaram no crescimento das plantas, sendo que em função da menor luminosidade incidente, as plantas apresentaram maior altura na estufa plástica. As bancadas refletoras não interferiram na altura de plantas, mas favoreceram a produção de frutos. Dentre os ambientes destaca-se a estufa plástica 42-50% de sombreamento. Para os materiais refletores na bancada, destacaram-se o material aluminizado e a fórmica vermelha, pois favoreceram o crescimento de plantas de tomateiro cereja com características ornamentais desejáveis, como maior produção de frutos.

ABSTRACT. The use of a protected environment for vegetable seedling production has become one of the best alternatives to minimize the adverse micrometeorological effects of the external environment and guarantee quality and production throughout the year. Inside the protected environment, it is essential to study the physiological responses of plants to the wavelength, periodicity, intensity, and direction of light in the photosynthetic process. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different intensities of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) used as an extended photoperiod in a greenhouse on the production of basil seedlings. A completely randomized design, in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme, with four replications of 20 seedlings per plot was used. Two basil varieties, sweet basil (green color) and purple basil (purple color), were evaluated under three intensities of supplementary PAR, which were 375, 411, and 438 µmol m-2 s-1, and control, in the absence of supplementary PAR. The seedling height, stem diameter, shoot dry matter, root dry matter, total dry matter, leaf area, ratio between plant height and stem diameter, ratio between plant height and shoot dry matter, ratio between shoot dry matter and root dry matter, and Dickson quality index were evaluated. Results show that higher intensities of PAR used as an extended photoperiod favor the quality of basil seedlings produced in a protected environment.

ABSTRACT Success in production of any perennial tree depends on the use of high-quality seedlings. This study aimed to evaluate cultivation benches with reflective material and protected environments for production of rubber tree rootstock seedlings. The experiments were conducted in two types of protected environments: 35% shading aluminized screen and 30% shading black screen. Cultivation benches with and without reflective material were tested inside the protected environments. A completely randomized design with 7 replications and 5 seedlings per plot was adopted for each environment, and the environments were compared by joint analysis. Solar radiation (global and photosynthetically active) was the most influencing micrometeorological factor on plant environment and plant growth differentiation. Regardless of the environment, the use of reflective material in cultivation bench had a positive effect on production of rubber rootstock seedling (clone GT1), providing seedlings with a robust root system and better quality. The use of reflective material also improved rubber tree rootstock seedlings (clone GT1) grown in the black screen environment.

ABSTRACT Plant ambiance studies the environmental condition favorable to plant growth at the initial stage of seedlings or the complete production cycle. This study aimed to evaluate the cultivation of the ornamental pepper ‘Pyramid’ under protected environments and growing benches with and without reflective material. The protected environments consisted of a greenhouse covered with low-density polyethylene film and 42/50% shading thermo-reflective screen under the film, structure with 35% shading thermo-reflective aluminized screen, and structure with 30% shading black screen. The growing benches were tested in environments without and with reflective material made of aluminized screen. The environment of the agricultural greenhouse covered with low-density polyethylene film and 42/50% thermo-reflective screen under the film favored the growth of ornamental pepper plants regarding height and diameter and provided early flowering and high fruit production. The use of the reflective material showed no significant results for plant height, stem diameter, and the number of leaves. The use of reflective material increased the number of fruits in plants under the environments with 35% shading aluminized screen and 30% shading black screen.

Abstract Improving environmental conditions in the production of seedlings by expanding the distribution of photosynthetically active radiation in abaxial leaves and protecting the substrate with straw can promote the production of higher quality seedlings. This study aimed to evaluate the reflective materials over the cultivation bench and the use of rice straw over the substrate in the formation of papaya seedlings of the group ‘Formosa’. The joint analysis was performed considering a completely randomized experimental design in a 3 x 2 factorial scheme, with five replications and six seedlings per plot. The use of aluminized screen (Aluminet®) and aluminum foil with an area of 1 m x 1.2 m as reflective material on the cultivation bench and treatment without reflective material were evaluated. Also, the presence and absence of a rice straw layer with 5 cm height, as covering over the substrate were evaluated. In the benches with aluminum foil and without reflective material, the seedling production without rice straw over the substrate provided papaya seedlings of higher quality than the rice straw over the substrate. The aluminum foil produced high-quality papaya seedlings in the treatments with rice straw over the substrate. The aluminized screen on the cultivation bench was not favorable for the papaya seedlings production.

Resumen Mejorar las condiciones ambientales en la producción de plántulas al expandir la distribución de la radiación fotosintéticamente activa en las hojas abaxiales y proteger el sustrato con paja puede promover la producción de plántulas de mayor calidad. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar los materiales reflectantes sobre el banco de cultivo y el uso de paja de arroz sobre el sustrato en la formación de plántulas de papaya del grupo ‘Formosa’. El análisis conjunto se realizó considerando un diseño experimental completamente al azar en un esquema factorial 3 x 2, con cinco repeticiones y seis plántulas por parcela. Se evaluó el uso de pantalla aluminizada (Aluminet®) y papel de aluminio con un área de 1 m x 1.2 m como material reflectante en el banco de cultivo y el tratamiento sin material reflectante. Además, se evaluó la presencia y ausencia de una capa de paja de arroz con una altura de 5 cm, como cobertura sobre el sustrato. En los bancos con papel de aluminio y sin material reflectante, la producción de plántulas sin paja de arroz sobre el sustrato proporcionó plántulas de papaya de mayor calidad que la paja de arroz sobre el sustrato. El papel de aluminio produjo plántulas de papaya de alta calidad en los tratamientos con paja de arroz sobre el sustrato. La pantalla aluminizada en el banco de cultivo no fue favorable para la producción de plántulas de papaya.

ABSTRACT Ornamental pepper plants produced in containers under protected environments have high added value. We carried out research with an aim to evaluate the growth and development of ornamental pepper in containers of different colors under two protected environments, both with thermal-reflective screens under a polyethylene film: one with 18–22 % shading and the other with 42–50 % in colored containers (brown, blue, black, and red). The treatments formed by a 2 × 4 factorial (environments × container colors) were arranged in a completely random pattern with 4 replications and 5 plants per plot, and a joint analysis of experiments was used to compare environments. The protected environment covered with low-density polyethylene film having 42–50 % of shading promoted higher initial growth of pepper plants, including early maturity, compared to the protected environment with 18–22 % of shading. The colored containers, namely, the brown container in a protected environment with 42–50 % shading and red container with 18–22 % shading formed plants with better growth and yield characteristics compared to the black container. The seedlings in the blue container had delayed flowering.

ABSTRACT. This study aimed to evte the quality of Hevea brasiliensis seedlings, a GT1 clone, produced in protected environments in a variety of substrates. The treatments consisted of 13 substrates composed of combinations of cattle manure, soil from a ravine, medium vermiculite, superfine vermiculite and washed fine sand and two environments: a greenhouse with 50% shade using aluminized screen and a plant nursery with 50% shade using a Sombrite® screen. There were no replications of the environments; therefore, each one was considered an experiment. For each environment, a completely randomized experimental design with five replications was used to evaluate the substrates. Subsequently, the average squares of the residuals of individual variance analyses of these treatments (substrates) were evaluated, and because they did not exceed an approximate ratio of 7:1, a combined analysis of experiments was performed with Sisvar software. Two hundred eighty days after sowing, the dry weight, plant height, stem diameter, diameter at five centimeters above soil and the seedling quality indices were evaluated. Results indicated that substrates with a low amount of manure and sand and a high amount of vermiculite (S9 and S13) produced rubber tree seedlings of high-quality. The environment with greater radiation availability was better for the development of high-quality rubber tree seedlings.

RESUMO Os avanços tecnológicos, no atual contexto mundial, atingem todos os setores de produção, melhorando o cotidiano das pessoas, trazendo rapidez na informação e segurança do produto. O presente trabalho apresenta uma revisão de literatura do uso da interface Agricultura 4.0 em casas de vegetação e as melhorias que essas tecnologias trouxeram ao setor. Para o setor agropecuário, em especial a área de produção vegetal intensiva em ambientes protegidos, as tecnologias da Agricultura 4.0 são amplamente aplicadas diminuindo erros humanos e garantindo produtos de elevada qualidade. A modelagem matemática, os softwares, os medidores eletrônicos, a robótica, as decisões dos sistemas inteligentes em tempo real, o controle automático das atividades em todo ciclo de produção garante a segurança de produção intensiva nos sistemas de cultivo protegido e uma ambiência vegetal de precisão. A exatidão, precisão e desempenho da Agricultura 4.0 em estufas dependem, como em outros setores agrícolas, de uma melhor comunicação entre as plataformas digitais e também de uma internet estável para a programação das máquinas e operação nos sistemas de produção.

ABSTRACT Global technological advances can be applied to all production sectors to improve people’s daily lives, efficiently deliver information, and product safety. This study is a literature review of the use of the Agricultura 4.0 interface in greenhouses and the improvements that these technologies have made to the industry. For the agricultural sector, especially intensive plant production in protected environments, Agricultura 4.0 technologies are widely used to reduce human error and ensure high quality plant products. Mathematical modeling, computer software, electronic meters, robotics, intelligent real-time system decisions, and automatic activity control throughout the production cycle guarantees extreme production safety in protected cultivation systems and precision planting environments. The accuracy, precision, and performance of Agricultura 4.0 in greenhouses depends, as in others agricultural sectors, on improved communication between digital platforms as well as in stable Internet for machine programming and operation in the production systems.

ABSTRACT Papaya is characterized as one of the most important crops in Brazil. Thus, good quality seedlings are essential for formation of orchards in agricultural production. This study aimed to evaluate shading levels and substrate compositions for production of papaya seedlings. Growing environments were evaluated with 0, 18, 35, and 50% shading and substrates from combinations (%) of hillside soil (HS), cattle manure (CM), Bioplant® (BP), washed fine sand (FS), and super fine-grained vermiculite (FV). As there was no replication for the growing environments, the group of experiments were analyzed using a 4 × 4 factorial arrangement (4 shades × 4 substrates), with five replications. Growth and biometric relationships were analyzed. Substrates consisting of 30% HS + 15% CM + 20% BP + 20% FS + 15% FV and 45% HS + 0% CM + 20% BP + 20% FS + 15% FV, as well as environments with 18 and 35% shading formed seedlings with higher plant heights, diameters, phytomass, and Dickson quality indices. The results showed that substrates with a higher content of hillside soil and lower content of cattle manure, associated with an environment with 18 or 35% shading, provided high-quality seedlings.

ABSTRACT Paricá (Schizolobium amazonicum) can be used for rehabilitation of degraded lands, timber manufacturing markets. However, for its planting, high-quality seedlings should be used. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different types of paclobutrazol (PBZ) application and two shading levels on high-quality seedling production. As there was no replication of cultivation environments, we considered each one of them as an experiment. For each environment (35 and 50% shading screen), a completely randomized design was adopted, testing combinations of two types of PBZ application (direct seed immersion in 0.005% PBZ solution; substrate hydration with 0.005% PBZ solution; and 50% seed hydration and 50% substrate hydration; plus, a control), with five replications and five seedlings per plot. The environments were evaluated by analysis of groups of experiments. Seedling growth was evaluated. Under 50% shading, Paricá seedlings had better growth conditions. Application of 100% PBZ in substrate provided compact seedlings with larger dry root phytomass, besides being more practical.

Resumo Os porta-enxertos de seringueira requerem um período em viveiro para atingir o estádio de enxertia, sendo necessária a aplicação de práticas para otimizar o tempo de formação das mudas. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da poda apical nos atributos morfofisiológicos dos porta-enxertos de seringueira GT1. O experimento foi realizado no período de maio de 2014 a maio de 2015 e os tratamentos consistiram em T1: sem poda apical; T2: poda apical realizada uma vez após o terceiro lançamento foliar maduro; T3: poda apical realizada mensalmente após o terceiro lançamento foliar maduro; T4: poda apical realizada uma vez após o quarto lançamento foliar maduro; T5: poda apical realizada mensalmente após o quarto lançamento foliar maduro; T6: poda apical realizada uma vez após o quinto lançamento foliar maduro e T7: poda apical realizada mensalmente após o quinto lançamento foliar maduro. As mensurações foram realizadas mensalmente, medindo-se o diâmetro e a altura das plantas, de 90 até 360 DAT (dias após o transplantio). Aos 360 DAT foram avaliados: massa seca de raiz, caule, folhas e massa seca total; número de folíolos; comprimento da raiz pivotante; volume do sistema radicular; área foliar e teores de elementos minerais nas folhas. A poda apical influenciou no diâmetro do caule, da altura, da massa seca de caule, da massa seca foliar e da área foliar das plantas. Plantas submetidas às podas apicais apresentaram a massa seca de raiz, a massa seca total, o comprimento de raiz, o volume de raiz e o número de folíolos semelhantes às não despontadas. Os tratamentos com poda apical realizada mensalmente apresentaram maior concentração de elementos minerais nas folhas. A poda apical realizada mensalmente após o quarto lançamento foliar maduro possibilitou o desenvolvimento em diâmetro dos porta-enxertos de seringueira em período semelhante às plantas não despontadas, porém aliado a uma menor altura, que facilita os tratos culturais.

Abstract The rubber tree rootstocks require a period in nursery to reach the grafting stage, and it is necessary the application of practices to optimize the time of seedling formations. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of apical pruning on the morphophysiological attributes of the GT1 rubber tree rootstocks. The experiment was performed from May 2014 to May 2015 and the treatments consisted in T1: without apical pruning; T2: apical pruning performed once after the third mature leaf release; T3: apical pruning performed monthly after the third mature leaf release; T4: apical pruning performed once after the fourth mature leaf release; T5: apical pruning performed monthly after the fourth mature leaf release; T6: apical pruning performed once after the fifth mature leaf release and T7: apical pruning performed monthly after the fifth mature leaf release. Measurements were performed monthly, measuring the diameter and height of the plants, from 90 to 360 DAT (days after planting transfer). At 360 DAT were evaluated: dry mass of root, stem, leaves and total dry mass; number of leaflets; length of the pivoting root; volume of the root system; leaf area and mineral element content in leaves. The apical pruning influenced stem diameter, height, dry stem mass, dry leaf mass and leaf area of plants. Plants submitted to apical pruning showed dry root mass, total dry mass, root length, root volume and number of leaflets similar to those not budded. The treatments with monthly apical pruning showed a higher concentration of mineral elements in the leaves. The apical pruning performed monthly after the fourth mature leaf release allowed the development in diameter of the rootstocks of the rubber tree in a period similar to the plants not blossomed, but ally to a smaller height, which facilitates the cultural treatments.

ABSTRACT This research evaluated protected environment and substrates for jatoba seedling. Two protected environments were used: (i) black shading screen on the sides and roof; and, (ii) black shading screen on the sides and thermal-reflective aluminized screen on the roof. In each environment the following substrates formulated with cattle manure (M) and vermiculite (V) were tested: 100% M; 90% M + 10% V; 80% M + 20% V; 70% M + 30% V; 60% M +40% V; 50% M + 50% V; 40% M +60% V; 30% M + 70% V; 20% M + 80% V; 10% M + 90%V. The environment protected with black shading screen was more favorable for the formation of jatoba seedlings, resulting in seedlings with higher shoot height and root collar diameter and, therefore, higher quality. Recommendation is to use substrates containing up to 30% of cattle manure to produce high quality jatoba seedlings.

RESUMO O sucesso no estabelecimento de um pomar de achachairu (Garcinia humilis) depende do plantio de mudas de alta qualidade. Objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos do nível de sombreamento (0 %, 18 % e 50 %) e da composição do substrato na formação de mudas de achachairu. Foram avaliados quatro substratos (S) oriundos das combinações (v:v) de solo (SO), esterco bovino (EB), substrato comercial (SC), areia (AR) e vermiculita de granulometria superfina (VF), sendo: S1 = 0 % SO + 45 % EB + 20 % SC + 20 % AR + 15 % VF; S2 = 15 % SO + 30 % EB + 20 % SC + 20 % AR + 15 % VF; S3 = 30 % SO + 15 % EB + 20 % SC + 20 % AR + 15 % VF; S4 = 45 % SO + 0 % EB + 20 % SC + 20 % AR + 15 % VF. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado em cada ambiente, sendo os ambientes comparados por análise conjunta. As melhores mudas de achachairu foram produzidas no ambiente de tela com 50 % de sombreamento. As mudas de achachairu não se desenvolveram a pleno sol e, portanto, não se recomenda a formação de mudas desta espécie com radiação direta, sem algum nível de sombreamento. Podem ser utilizadas diferentes composições oriundas da mistura de solo, esterco bovino, substrato comercial, areia e vermiculita superfina no substrato.

ABSTRACT The successful establishment of a Garcinia humilis orchard depends on planting high-quality seedlings. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the shading level (0 %, 18 % and 50 %) and substrate composition on the formation of G. humilis seedlings. Four substrates (S) were evaluated combining different proportions (v:v) of soil (SO), cattle manure (CM), commercial substrate (CS), sand (SA) and fine grain vermiculite (FV): S1 = 0 % SO + 45 % CM + 20 % CS + 20 % SA + 15 % FV; S2 = 15 % SO + 30 % CM + 20 % CS + 20 % SA + 15 % FV; S3 = 30 % SO + 15 % CM + 20 % CS + 20 % SA + 15 % FV; S4 = 45 % SO + 0 % CM + 20 % CS + 20 % SA + 15 % FV. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design in each environment, being the environments compared by a joint analysis. The G. humilis seedlings with the highest quality were obtained in the environment with a 50 % shading screen. G. humilis seedlings do not grow when exposed to full sunlight and, therefore, the seedling production of this species with direct solar radiation, without some shading level, should not be recommended. Different combinations from the mixture of soil, cattle manure, commercial substrate, sand and fine grain vermiculite may be used in the formulation of substrates for G. humilis seedlings.

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate protected cultivation environments with different levels of shading and application of foliar chemical agents, on growth, photosynthetic pigments and seedling quality of Capsicum frutensens L. The experiment was developed at the State University of Mato Grosso do Sul, University Unit of Cassilândia, with chili pepper. Three cultivation environments (screen of 18, 35 and 50% of shading) and six leaf chemical agents were used [(1) control – without application; (2) Nitrogen (N) 1%; (3) Paclobutrazol 50 mg L-1 + N 1%; (4) Auxin 0.05 g L-1 + N 1%; (5) Gibberellin 0.05 g L-1 + N 1%; and (6) Auxin 0.05 g L-1 + Gibberellin 0.05 g L-1 + N 1%]. Each environment was considered an experiment in which the completely randomized design was adopted and, afterwards, a joint analysis of the same was carried out. The growth and the biometric relations were evaluated. The leaf nitrogen application positively influences the growth and chlorophyll content of pepper seedlings; the application of nitrogen + growth regulator via foliar produces seedlings with higher growth and biometric relations in environments with 50% shading. For the production of seedlings with desirable morphological and physiological aspects, it is recommended to use a foliar application of paclobutrazol + nitrogen in an environment with 50% shading.