Production of three cuttings of Bactris gasipaes for heart-of-palm under different plant density in the Paraná State Coastal Region, Brazil

Abstract

The present study was developed to characterize the chemical properties of the soil under peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) plantations at 24, 39 and 48 months old, and to quantify the heart-of-palm  production on a local industrial scale (packaged in various forms in glass jars). The experiment was set up in two areas, located along the Alexandra-Matinhos Road (km 7 and km 10) near Paranaguá county, State of Paraná, Brazil, in March of 2001. Randomized blocks were used as statistical design, having 100 plants per sample, with four  treatments and six replicates. Treatments considering spacing and plant density were: 3 m x 1 m ; 2 m x 1 m ; 2.0 m x 1 m x 1 m and 1.5 m x 1 m x 1 m. Peach palm plants were fertilized at plantation stablishment and at 6 ; 9 ; 12 ; 18 ; 21 and 45 months after planting, totalizing 86 ; 47,8 and 67,5 g per plant of N, P and K, respectively. Dolomite lime was placed between rows at a level of 16 kg, corresponding to 2 ton.ha-1. The results showed that: (i) fertilization with N, P and K and the application of lime changed soil chemical characteristics; (ii) density between 5,000 and 6,666 plants.ha-1 presented bigger heart-of-palm production, in the successive harvests.