Composição do sistema de mulching no cultivo do abacaxizeiro ‘Pérola’

Abstract

The use of mulching is a technique that helps in various aspects of agricultural management, such as controlling invasive plants in the row. Furthermore, it contributes to water savings and maintenance and stability of soil temperature, with positive effects on nutrient translocation and root development and protection. Given this principle, the objective of this work was to evaluate, among different types of material for mulching composition, the one that best favors the development and production of the ‘Pérola’ pineapple tree. The treatments used were black plastic film, rice husk, grass mulch and residual sawdust from the sawmill, plus the control treatment that constituted the absence of soil cover. For the experimental conduct, the plants were arranged at a spacing of 1.00 meters between rows and 0.60 meters between plants, in a randomized block design, with five treatments and six plants per treatment, totaling 150 plants. Only the four central plants were considered as the useful area of the plot. The following variables were analyzed: Soil temperature (°C); Rhizosphere temperature (°C); Plant height (cm); Plant diameter (cm); Plant neck diameter (cm); Length of sheet “D” (cm); Width of sheet “D” (cm); Sheet thickness ”D” (mm); “D” leaf weight (g) and number of plants at the flowering stage. It is concluded that covering the soil with black plastic film was the one that best favored vegetative development and anticipated the flowering of 'Pérola' pineapple plants, except for the characteristics leaf length and thickness “D” and soil temperature for which there was no significant difference between treatments.