Propagation of Brazil nut (Humb. y Bonpl) seedlings using seeds in mini-greenhouses

The species Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K., the Brazil nut, is an Amazonian species belonging to the family Lecythidaceae. It has great economic value. One of the principle means of B. excelsa propagation is via sexual reproduction (seeds), but the presence of dormancy makes it difficult to produce seedlings, mainly due to the long germination period, and uncertainties regarding timing. The purpose of the current study was to describe a technology that allows the development, in mini-greenhouses, of all processes involved in Brazil nut seedling propagation. The study evaluated response of B. excelsa seedlings to different substrates in mini- greenhouses at the scarification, germination and growth stages. Germination counts were first was performed five days after sowing, and ended at 40 days, when no further germination was observed. Subsequently, germination percentages of normal and abnormal seedlings, dormant and dead seeds were calculated. Sawdust and forest soil substrates provided a shorter husk removal time, while forest soil substrate had the highest percentage of healthy seeds. Germination rates for B. excelsa seed in mini-greenhouses were not affected by substrate type. The substrates sand and sand+sawdust showed highest B. excelsa seedling development

Bertholletia excelsa: growth and quality of seedlings produced under different environmental conditions/ Bertholletia excelsa: crescimento e qualidade de mudas produzidas sob diferentes condições ambientais

Bertholletia excelsa is a tree species economically important in Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia. In the Peruvian Amazon, seedlings production is a bottleneck faced by concessionaires for reforestation. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate initial growth and quality of B. excelsa seedlings in two production environments. Thirty days after germination seedlings were transplanted to 115-cm³ small tubes with standard substrate and arranged in two environments under 60% shading. The experiment was fully randomized with the treatments “forest nursery” (T1) and “sub-irrigation chamber” (T2) and four repetitions of 10 plants each. ANOVA followed by the Tukey test were applied over means (p < 0.05). The production environment had effect on the development of B. excelsa seedlings. Higher growth rates in height, shoot dry mass, root dry mass, and total dry mass were observed in T2. B. excelsa seedlings produced in the sub-irrigation chamber presented higher Dickson quality index with 135 days

RESPUESTA DE LAS PLANTAS DE CASTAÑA AMAZONICA Bertholletia excelsa A CUATRO NIVELES DE FERTILIZACION CON NITROGENO, FOSFORO Y POTASIO EN LA AMAZONIA PERUANA

En este estudio, se presenta la capacidad de respuesta de Bertholletia excelsa a una aplicación localizada de nutrientes con fuentes de nitrógeno, fósforo y potasio en suelos ácidos con cuatro niveles de urea, superfosfato triple y cloruro de potasio, respectivamente. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas (P <0,01) en todas las variables evaluadas, por efecto de la fertilización nitrogenada con niveles de 50 y 100 kg ha-1. Se observó también respuesta importante con fósforo usando niveles de 200 kg ha-1 aunque no hubo un efecto estadísticamente significativo

Rooting of juvenile cuttings of Brazil nut trees using indolebutyric acid in sub-irrigation chamber

The sexual propagation of Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa Humb. & Bonpl.) is limited by several factors, including slow and irregular germination, unevenness in root and shoot emergence, and a strategy to overcome these limitations is vegetative propagation. The objective of this study is to evaluate the rooting of Brazil nut cuttings using different concentrations of indolebutyric acid (IBA) in a subirrigation system. The study adopted a completely randomized block design with five concentrations of IBA (0, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 mg L-1). The donor plants of the vegetative material were obtained from seeds of trees selected as highly productive parent plants. Cuttings with approximately 6 cm were obtained from the basal and middle sections of the shoot and contained one pair of nodes and one fully developed leaf. The percentage of survival, callus formation, rooting, and sprouting was determined at 105 days after rooting. IBA improved the analyzed characteristics for the development of Brazil nut plants. The IBA concentration of 1000 mg L-1 provided the highest percentage of survival, rooting, and callus formation. Juvenile cuttings showed a higher rate of survival (69.7%), rooting (49.1%), and callus formation (30.2%) at IBA concentrations between 1.9 and 2.3 g L-1

Propagation of Brazil nut (Humb. y Bonpl) seedlings using seeds in mini-greenhouses

The species Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K., the Brazil nut, is an Amazonian species belonging to the family Lecythidaceae. It has great economic value. One of the principle means of B. excelsa propagation is via sexual reproduction (seeds), but the presence of dormancy makes it difficult to produce seedlings, mainly due to the long germination period, and uncertainties regarding timing. The purpose of the current study was to describe a technology that allows the development, in mini-greenhouses, of all processes involved in Brazil nut seedling propagation. The study evaluated response of B. excelsa seedlings to different substrates in mini- greenhouses at the scarification, germination and growth stages. Germination counts were first was performed five days after sowing, and ended at 40 days, when no further germination was observed. Subsequently, germination percentages of normal and abnormal seedlings, dormant and dead seeds were calculated. Sawdust and forest soil substrates provided a shorter husk removal time, while forest soil substrate had the highest percentage of healthy seeds. Germination rates for B. excelsa seed in mini-greenhouses were not affected by substrate type. The substrates sand and sand+sawdust showed highest B. excelsa seedling development

FORESTRY PERFORMANCE OF Bertholletia excelsa Humn. & Bonpl Lecythidaceae Under Different Fertilizers After Two Years Of Planting

The Bertholletia excelsa species is frequently used in reforestation due to its high degree of adaptability and its excellent initial growth. Thus, this work aimed to study the growth of Bertholletia excelsa according to different types and concentrations of fertilization, seeking to contribute to the forestry of this species. For this purpose, seedlings of Bertholletia excelsa were planted in the Madre de Dios region on a property near the province of Puerto Maldonado in Peru. The seedlings were selected when they presented an average height of 22 cm for all treatments, being T1: Dolomite + SPT; T2: Dolomite + NPK; T3: Dolomite + SPT + Agricultural plaster; T4: Dolomite + NPK + Agricultural plaster, and T5: A control treatment without fertilization modifications. The experimental design used was randomized blocks with five treatments and four replicates of six seedlings each. Once the ANOVA assumptions were met, the data were subjected to analysis of variance, with significant differences between the data, the means were compared using the Tukey test (p <0.05). Survival (%) was evaluated from the number of dead individuals in the 2 years of measurement. For the T4 treatment it was possible to observe an enormous potential, as the fertilization provided the development in height and diameter. Treatments T1 and T3 did not perform well when compared to the control, presenting the lowest growth rates in height and diameter, and the lowest survival rate. The control treatment obtained a considerable result, not differing statistically from T4, thus concluding that pre-plant fertilization of Bertholletia excelsa is not necessary.Bertholletia excelsa is a species is frequently used in reforestation due to its high degree of adaptability and its excellent initial growth. Thus, this work aimed to study the growth of B. excelsa according to different types and concentrations of fertilization, seeking to contribute to the silvicultural development of this species. For this purpose, seedlings of B. excelsa were planted in the Madre de Dios region on a property near the province of Puerto Maldonado in Peru. The seedlings were selected when they presented an average height of 22 cm for all treatments, being T1: Dolomite + SPT; T2: Dolomite + NPK; T3: Dolomite + SPT + Agricultural plaster; T4: Dolomite + NPK + Agricultural plaster, and T5: A control treatment without fertilization modifications. The experimental design was randomized blocks with five treatments and four replicates of six seedlings each. Once the ANOVA assumptions were met, the data were subjected to analysis of variance, with significant differences between the data, the means were compared using the Tukey test (p < 0.05). Survival (%) was evaluated from the number of live individuals in two years of measurement. The treatment T4 presented great silvicultural potential, as the fertilization provided the development in height and diameter. Treatments T1 and T3 did not perform well when compared to the control, presenting the lowest growth rates in height and diameter, and the lowest survival rate. The control treatment did not differ statistically from T4, thus concluding that pre-plant fertilization of B. excelsa is not necessary

La castaña amazónica (Bertholletía excelsa) manual de cultivo

Este manual recopila de manera precisa y concisa información referente al cultivo de la castaña amazónica. El documento reúne las experiencias de investigación desarrolladas en los últimos años en Madre de Dios (Perú) y a la vez presenta bases para elaborar una política sectorial que impulse la agro exportación de castaña amazónica como motor de una economía sostenible

La castaña amazónica (Bertholletía excelsa) manual de cultivo

Este manual recopila de manera precisa y concisa información referente al cultivo de la castaña amazónica. El documento reúne las experiencias de investigación desarrolladas en los últimos años en Madre de Dios (Perú) y a la vez presenta bases para elaborar una política sectorial que impulse la agro exportación de castaña amazónica como motor de una economía sostenible

Soil recovery of alluvial gold mine spoils in the Peruvian Amazon using Stylosanthes guianensis, a promising cover crop

The Amazon is an important reservoir of biodiversity and carbon but it is under pressure by multiple threats such as artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). In Peru ASGM has degraded 90,000 ha of old growth forest since the eighties, leaving vast areas as wastelands. As most ASGM in the region is illegal, efforts to recover degraded areas have been scant. Here we assessed the potential of Stylosanthes guianensis to recover soil health as a first step in the restoration of gold mine spoils in a Native community and a mining concession in Madre de Dios, Peru. We evaluated plant growth and analyzed changes in physical, chemical and biological soil parameters. After 470 days after sowing, average plant height was 46.7 cm with a survival rate > 50% and yields of 23.9 t ha−1 and 450 kg ha−1 of dry biomass and nitrogen, respectively. Multiple soil parameters increased significantly, including cationic exchange capacity (3.3 to 4.0 cmol [+] kg−1), soil organic matter (0.03 to 0.39%), soil respiration (0.02 to 0.06 mg CO2 g−1 d−1) and biomass (0.03 to 0.15 mg C g−1). Soil macrofauna increased from 2 to 11 taxonomic groups, including ants, considered as soil engineers. Furthermore, S. guianensis increased soil carbon sequestration of impacted areas from 0.004 t C ha−1 by more than 1650%, up to 0.07 t C ha−1. These promising findings clearly illustrate S. guianensis potential to kick-start natural succession of Amazonian forests after degradation by ASGM and hence help achieving the Sustainable Development Goals