COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT CONTAINERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COFFEA CANEPHORA PIERRE EX FROEHNER(AMAZONIAN ROBUSTAS) SEEDLINGS, IN THE STATE OF RONDÔNIA

Abstract

The production of Coffea canephora (Amazonian Robusta) seedlingsis fundamental for the expansion of coffee cultivation in Rondônia, especially due to the predominance of selected clones and the demand for innovative and sustainable container alternatives in nurseries. The objective of this study wasto compare the initial development of clonal seedlings of CL 08 and CL 25 in two distincttypes of containers: plastic bags and biopots. The experiment was conducted in a nursery environment, monitoring seedling growth for 120 days after planting. The variables evaluated were: total shoot height H (in cm), stem diameter DC (in mm); number of nodes from the cotyledonary leaves to the last pair of true leaves, root volume VR (in ml), fresh weight of the shoot PMFPA and roots PMFR, dry weight of the shoot PMSPA and roots PMSR (all in g). Total fresh weight (PMFT) and total dry weight (PMST) (in g) were also calculated. The initial development of Coffe acanephora (Amazonian Robustas) seedlings is influenced by both the clone type and the container used in production. Therefore, the adoption of alternative containers can bring benefits to the initial development of seedlings, promoting sustainable practices aligned with market demands and Brazilian environmental legislation. Furthermore, it contributes to guiding producers and technicians in choosing appropriate containers for C. canephora seedling production, reinforcing the importance of sustainability and strengthening regional coffee farming.