Avaliação da decomposição e liberação de nutrientes da fitomassa de Castanha-do-Brasil (bertholletia excelsa), Cupuaçu (theobroma grandiflorum) e Gliricídia (gliricidia sepium) em um sistema agroflorestal no Estado de Roraima

Abstract

The understanding of dynamics of soil and agroforestry systems is the essential part to establish an appropriate handling of nutrients and their sustaining, since that they provide an increasing in environmental works. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the decomposition and availability of nutrients found in the phytomass of Brazilian chestnut trees, as well as cupuaçu Theobroma grandiflorum (a Brazilian plant very closely related to the cacao tree), Gliricidia sepium, and other combinations among them, based on a agroforestry pattern of system, which is nine years old now. This experiment was carried out at Campo Experimental Confiança, in Roraima, between April and September, which is the period of rainy season. The phytomass of the researched species was put in sacks of decomposition with screens made of polyethylene measuring 0,40 x 0,40, and with mesh of one millimeter in thickness. Those materials were spread on the soil surface to be gathered fortnightly over the whole evaluation period. The experimental design was made with randomized blocks with five replicates. After each gathering, the weight difference between the current gathering and the previous one was regarded as decomposition rate. The values obtained were fitted according to a no linear pattern of logistic type, and having the adjusted coefficient of determination (R2 aj) as criterion of adherence. Brazil nut, cupuaçu and gliricidia leaves showed a distruct behavior relahve to time for decomposition, as gliricidia presented rapid decomposition while cupuaçu leaves showed slowest decomposition cnnidering time assessed. There was no influence concerning association of leaves over decomposition time. Gliricidia leaves presentend high nitrogen, potassium, magnesium and phosforus relaease. Brasil nut and cupuaçu leaves shoewd low nutriente release, specialy nitrogen. Calcium was the nutriente that presentend least release for all species under study, requiring a longer time than time utilized in this study fot its complet release.