Germination and vigor of two varieties of Jiló (Solanum gilo Raddi) under different substrates and pH conditions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14295/cerrado.v3i2.896Keywords:
Solanum gilo, physiological quality, early development, agricultural substrates, seedling production, vegetable cropsAbstract
Jiló (Solanum gilo Raddi) is a vegetable crop widely cultivated in Brazil, particularly by smallholder farmers, and plays an important economic and nutritional role in several regions of the country. However, information regarding the influence of different substrates and pH conditions on seed germination and seedling vigor remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the germination and vigor of two commercial Jiló varieties, light-green and dark-green, grown in substrates with different pH levels. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design using a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (two varieties × three substrates), with four replications. The treatments consisted of washed sand (pH 7.0), commercial substrate (pH 6.5), and an organic substrate based on cattle manure (pH 5.5). The evaluated variables were seedling height, root length, number of leaves, fresh mass, and dry mass. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and means were compared using Tukey’s test at the 5% significance level. Substrate effects were significant for seedling height, number of leaves, and fresh mass, whereas varietal effects were observed only for the number of leaves. The commercial substrate (pH 6.5) promoted the highest number of leaves in the light-green variety, while the dark-green variety grown in washed sand exhibited the highest fresh mass. In contrast, the organic substrate at pH 5.5 yielded the lowest values for most traits evaluated, indicating a negative effect of higher acidity on early seedling development. It is concluded that substrates with pH values ranging from 6.5 to 7.0 provide more favorable conditions for germination and initial seedling vigor in Jiló, regardless of variety, thereby improving crop establishment.
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