Desenvolvimento, crescimento e produtividade da mandioca em função de datas de plantio

Abstract

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a native plant of Brazil and the base of multiple products, iincluding ethanol. Rio Grande do Sul State is a minor producer of cassava in Brazil, especially in the Central Region of the State. The objective of Chapter I in this Dissertation was to determine the phyllochron, the final leaf number (FLN) on the main stem (MS) and on simpodial branches of a cassava variety in different planting dates ia subtropical climate. The objective of Chapter II in this Dissertation was to characterize some development and growth parameters, and yield components of stem and tuber roots of a cassava variety in several planting dates in the Central Region of Rio Grande do Sul State. A field experiment was conducted in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, with cassava variety FEPAGRO RS 13, in a 16,000 plants ha-1 plant density. Treatments were four planting dates (26 Sep. 2006, 18 Oct. 2006, 08 Nov. 2006, and 28 Nov. 2006) in a completely randomized design, with sampling in the plots. Weekly measures of leaf number in six plants per plot were done for determining the phyllochron and the final leaf number on the MS, first order (RS1) and second order (RS2) branches. The phyllochron (oC day leaf-1) on the MS, RS1 and RS2, and the thermal time for developmental phases were estimated using a base temperature of 14oC. Leaf area was calculated from weekly measured of length the largest lobule of individual leaves and the leaf área index (LAI) was calculated by the sum of the area of individual leaves divided by the area o fone plant (0.64 m2). Other growth variables were measured during the winter when plants were not growing and right before harvesting. At harvesting, fresh and dry yield of stems and tuber rootswere measured in six plants per plot. The phyllochron and FLN varied with planting date, and are not different among stems in the same branching (RS1 and RS2). The phyllochron increased in the sequence MS<RS1<RS3 while the FLN had an inverse trend, i.e., MS>RS1>RS3. Early plantings hastened the onset of starch storage in the roots and date of RS1 appearance in this cassava variety. Maximum LAI was the greatest in the earliest planting date (LAI=7.7), decreased in the following planting dates, and increased again for the latest planting date (LAI=7.4). Growth of cassava variety FEPAGRO RS 13 decreased as planting date was delayed, and stems withing the same branching (RS1 and RS2) have different growth. There was interaction between planting dates and stems for the variables final stem length and final stem diameter. Among brances, final stem diameter was greater in the first planting date. Final plant heigth was greater in the two earliest planting dates. Stem yield was greater in the earliest planting date, while tuber roots yield was not different among planting dates.