Pruning effect on peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) transplanting.

Abstract

Five treatments combining different

pruning practices of foliage and roots were conducted. Their

behaviour was evaluated six months after transplanting to the

field, based on seven different parameters. All were

transplanted with naked roots. A comparative evaluation was

done based on the external visual presence or absence of the

new emerging leaf or guide leaf. The results were as follows:

the plants that were not pruned, were statiscally superior to all

pruning treatments tried, not only in survival percentage

(90.33%) but also in the other six variables studied, mainly in

regard to the development of the plant measured by the total

weight recorded six months after the transplanting. The

plants with no foliage and no roots showed 63.33% of

survival and their posterior recovery, as measured by the

weight of the roots and aerial part of the plant, was markedly

inferior to all other treatments. In all cases, including the

control plots, the presence of the new emerging leaf meant a

2 to 4% increase in the survival of the plants. The seven

variables used were highly correlated: plant diameter and

height, number of leaves, root system and aerial part weight,

total plant weight, and survival percentage.