Influence of container type and volume on the production of Calophyllum brasiliense and Cariniana estrellensis seedlings for recovery of degraded areas

Owing to the growing demand for seedlings of native forest species and interest about their behavior in nurseries, this study aimed to assess the effect of container volume on the growth and quality of Calophyllum brasiliense (guanandi) and Cariniana estrellensis (jequitibá-branco). The experimental design employed randomized blocks with four replicates and five container treatments, comprising 53-, 115-, 180-, and 280-cm3 tubes as well as a 560-cm3 plastic bag. Each species was used in independent experiments. The cultivation period lasted 150 d, after which various biometric parameters (shoot height, stem diameter, and leaf area) and quality indicators of the seedlings (height-to-diameter ratios, aerial and root dry biomass, and Dickson Quality Index) were evaluated. C. brasiliense seedlings demonstrated statistically similar results among the mean values for all evaluated parameters in the 180-, 280-, and 560-cm3 containers. For C. estrellensis, the mean values of most of the assessed parameters were similar for the 280- and 560-cm3 containers. Therefore, using 180- and 280-cm3 tube containers for C. brasiliense and C. estrellensis, respectively, is recommended because of their smaller spatial requirements, reduced substrate costs, and increased production capacity.