Resumen

MENDOZA-BAUTISTA, Concepción et al. Growth of "vara perlilla" (Symphoricarpos microphyllus H. B. K.) in response to fertilization and clipping height. Agrociencia [online]. 2012, vol.46, n.7, pp.719-729. ISSN 2521-9766.

'Vara perlilla' (Symphoricarpos microphyllus H. B. K.) is used to elaborate rustic brooms and Christmas handcrafts. Currently, its natural populations are used and it is cultivated. However, there is a lack of sufficient information regarding species management. With the objective of determining the effects of three levels of fertilization and two clipping heights, this study was carried out in a three-year plantation. The nutritional diagnosis was performed by using the Trends in Concentration method which was used to design a fertilization formula. Nutrients that turned out to be limiting were applied. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks, with six treatments derived from the combination of clipping heights (6 and 12 cm) and fertilization formulas (control, Mn-Zn and NPK+Mn-Zn). The number of resprouts, diameter and length of resprouts, average diameter of resprouts per shrub, average length of resprouts per shrub and aerial biomass were evaluated, before and six months after fertilization. The biomass and the length of resprouts showed an effect from fertilization (p< 0.1), while the clipping height affected the diameter of the shrub and the length of resprouts (p< 0.1). Fertilization of NPK+ Mn-Zn with clipping at 6 cm produced the highest stick yield (p< 0.1). Fertilization of 'vara perlilla' (pink snowberry) increases the values of variables of commercial interest.

Palabras llave : shrub; nutrition; plantation; resprouts; Symphoricarpos microphyllus.