Adubação nitrogenada para formação de mudas de três espécies de pitaia

Abstract

The changes that national agriculture has been changing in recent years are well-known. Domestic fruit consumption has been increasing periodically, as has exports. This can be associated with several factors such as: increased income and a quest for a better quality of life, through a healthier diet by both Brazilians and foreigners, and meeting the requirements imposed by the main international buyers, the good quality of the bark, free of grooves and depreciations by pests. In view of the above, Pitaia is a viable alternative that meets both the nutritional requirements of consumers and the rural producer, due to its high commercial value. Today there are some municipalities in Ceará that produce this fruit, but the production is still a challenge due to the lack of information about its management in the local conditions, appropriate nutritional management, for example. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of nitrogen on the initial development of three species of Pitaia, Pitaia red (Hylocereus sp.), Yellow (Hylocereus megalanthus) and tasty (Hylocereus setaceus Rizz), in Fortaleza / CE. The statistical design was in complete randomized blocks (DBC), with 12 treatments and four replicates (blocks), totalizing 48 experimental units (plants). The treatments were constituted by increasing and equidistant doses of nitrogen: 0, 210, 420 and 630 mg N dm-3. The initial growth of the aerial part and root system of Pitaia were affected by the application of increasing doses of N.