Resumo

ARIZALETA, Miguel  e  PIRE, Reinaldo. Coffee seedlings response to pot size and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization at nursery condition. Agrociencia [online]. 2008, vol.42, n.1, pp.47-55. ISSN 2521-9766.

The production of vigorous coffee plants at the nursery is the basis of their successful establishment in the field. The replacement of old plantations by the new high-yielding varieties requires a high production of good quality seedlings and good knowledge of the most appropriate size of the nursery bags. The response of seedlings of Coffea arabica L. 'Caturra' grown in bags with three sizes (13x15, 15x19 or 18x23 cm) under three doses of fertilization (2, 4 and 6 g plant^-1 of fertilizer with 10% N and 50% P₂O₅) was assessed in Duaca, Lara State, Venezuela. The local soil, characterized by its high organic matter content, good fertility and proper permeability, was utilized as substrate. A factorial arrangement of treatments was used in a randomized complete block design with four replications and 10 bags per plot. The highest root and shoot growth of the seedlings (root length, plant height and biomass dry) was obtained in the largest bags. The different doses of fertilization affected the nutritional status of the plant but not its growth, since the substrate apparently provided the necessary nutrients. It is concluded that the largest bags allow sustained growth of the seedlings during the six months in the nursery and that small doses of fertilizer may be sufficient to bring them to completion before their final establishment in the field.

Palavras-chave : Coffea arabica; nursery; morphological indexes; mineral nutrition; plant propagation; roots.