Organic substrates in germination and growth of Pinus ayacahuite var. veitchii (Roezl) Shaw at the nursery

Abstract

In the Region Mountain of Guerrero, access to commercial substrates is limited and expensive, so it is pertinent to generate alternatives in the production of seedlings with local materials that complement the forest soil. The present study evaluates the effect of three organic components —forest soil (fs), vermicompost (vc) and compost (cp)— on the nursery germination and growth of Pinus ayacahuite var. veitchii, in the locality known as Plan de Guadalupe, Tlacoapa, Guerrero. The seeds were sown in expanded polystyrene trays of 77 cavities, distributed on tables of racks under a fully random design with four treatments (T1, T2, T3 and T4) and a control (CT) with four repetitions. The evaluated variables were: germination percentage (%), germination in time (days), basal diameter of the stem (mm) and height of the plants (cm). The results of the variance analysis were statistically significant (p <0.05) for all the variables analyzed. To obtain the highest germination of P. ayacahuite, the use T1 (50 % fs + 50 % vc) is recommended; however, the maximum growth in diameter, height and slenderness index is attained by using the substrate composed of 50 % fs + 20 % vc + 30 % cp (T4). In conclusion, it is advisable to use different plants at each stage of nursery plant production, so as to ensure a high germination, but also good growth resulting in high quality plants for establishment in the field.