USO DE FOTOPROTETOR FOLIAR EM MUDAS DE EUCALIPTO EM CONDIÇÃO DE DEFICIT HÍDRICO - DOI: 10.7127/rbai.v12n200723

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of a foliar photoprotector under the initial growth of commercial eucalypt clones in different atmospheric demands associated to water stress. The research was developed in greenhouse climatized at the Federal University of Espirito Santo. Eucalyptus urophylla x Eucalyptus grandis hybrid seedlings were transplanted to plastic vessels and after acclimatization were induced to water stress cycles by suspending the water replenishment until the soil reached 30% of the available water, with subsequent water replenishment to the capacity level of field. At the end of the experiment, growth variables were evaluated: height, diameter, leaf area, shoot dry mass, roots and total. The experiment was implemented in four different conditions of atmospheric demand (lower temperature, intermediate temperature, higher temperature with high DPV and higher temperature with low DPV) and two levels of leaf photoprotector (with and without), with five replicates. For the evaluated genetic material, the high atmospheric demand acted as a stressing factor for the seedlings in initial growth, and the application of the leaf photoprotector favored the growth of the plants under water stress, under these conditions. Therefore, the application of foliar photoprotector can be seen as an alternative to attenuate the effects of abiotic stress conditions on eucalyptus seedlings.