Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de diferentes tipos de substratos no crescimento e na nutrição, e a qualidade de mudas de caju-de-árvore-do-cerrado. O experimento ocorreu em casa de vegetação. Os substratos utilizados foram: 1- Bioplant®; 2- Mecplant® (MP) + casca de arroz carbonizada (CAC) (7:3); 3- vermiculita de granulometria fina (VGF); 4- VGF+CAC (3:1); 5- VGF+CAC (1:1); 6- VGF+CAC (1:3) e 7- Bagaço de cana-de-açúcar (BC) + torta de filtro de usina de cana-de-açúcar (TF) (3:2). A contagem das plântulas emergidas foi realizada em intervalos de dois dias após a emergência da primeira plântula. Aos 39; 64 e 89 dias após a semeadura (DAS), avaliaram-se o comprimento do caule (CC), o diâmetro do coleto (DC) e o número de folhas (NF). O acúmulo de massas secas, índices de qualidade e concentração foliar de macro e micronutrientes foram avaliados aos 89 DAS. Plantas desenvolvidas nos substratos VGF e VGF+CAC (1:3) apresentaram os menores CC em relação aos demais. O incremento no crescimento foi menor entre os 64 e 89 DAS, em relação ao primeiro intervalo. A maior concentração foliar de N foi observada no substrato BC+TF, de P e K em MP+CAC (7:3), BC+TF e Bioplant® e Ca no BC+TF e MP+CAC (7:3). Já para os micronutrientes B e Mn, o substrato MP+CAC (7:3) apresentou as maiores concentrações foliares, juntamente com o Bioplant® para o elemento B. As concentrações de Mg, S, Cu, Zn e Fe não apresentaram diferenças. A característica a diferir as mudas cultivadas nos substratos foi a concentração foliar dos nutrientes, tendo destaque o BC+TF seguido pelo MP+CAC e Bioplant®.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of substrate on growth, emergence, nutrition, and quality of Anacardium othonianum Rizz. (cerrado cashew tree) seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory on the Rio Verde campus. The following substrates were used: 1) Bioplant®, 2) Mecplant® (MP) + carbonized rice husk (CRH) (7:3), 3) fine-grained vermiculite (FGV), 4) FGV+CRH (3:1), 5) FGV+CRH (1:1), 6) FGV+CRH (1:3), and 7) sugarcane bagasse (SB) + sugarcane mill filter cake (FC) (3:2). Emerged seedlings were counted at 2-day intervals for 38 days following emergence of the first seedling. At 39, 64, and 89 days after seeding (DAS), the following variables were measured: stem length (SL), stem diameter (SD), and number of leaves (NL). Accumulated dry weight, quality indices, and leaf macro- and micronutrient levels were determined at 89 DAS. Plants grown in the FGV and FGV+CFH (1:3) substrates had shorter stem lengths than the plants grown in other substrates. Increases in seedling growth were smaller between 64 and 89 DAS compared to the initial period of the experiment. The highest leaf N concentrations were found in the SB+FC substrate treatment group; P and K concentrations were higher for the MP+CRH (7:3), SB+FC, and Bioplant® treatments; and Ca levels were higher for the SB+FC and MP+CRH (7:3) substrate treatments. The MP+CRH (7:3) substrate treatment group had the highest leaf B and Mn micronutrient concentrations, and plants from the Bioplant® substrate group had the highest leaf B micronutrient content. Mg, S, Cu, Zn, and Fe concentrations did not differ among the different substrates. The plant traits that differed most among the treatments included stem length for the FGV and FGV+CRH (1:3) substrate groups and leaf nutrient concentrations, which were higher for the SB+FC group followed by the MP+CRH and Bioplant® treatments.