Reflective material on cultivation benches and rice straw over the substrate in papaya seedling production

Improving environmental conditions in the production of seedlings by expanding the distribution of photosynthetically active radiation in abaxial leaves and protecting the substrate with straw can promote the production of higher quality seedlings. This study aimed to evaluate the reflective materials over the cultivation bench and the use of rice straw over the substrate in the formation of papaya seedlings of the group ‘Formosa’. The joint analysis was performed considering a completely randomized experimental design in a 3 x 2 factorial scheme, with five replications and six seedlings per plot. The use of aluminized screen (Aluminet®) and aluminum foil with an area of 1 m x 1.2 m as reflective material on the cultivation bench and treatment without reflective material were evaluated. Also, the presence and absence of a rice straw layer with 5 cm height, as covering over the substrate were evaluated. In the benches with aluminum foil and without reflective material, the seedling production without rice straw over the substrate provided papaya seedlings of higher quality than the rice straw over the substrate. The aluminum foil produced high-quality papaya seedlings in the treatments with rice straw over the substrate. The aluminized screen on the cultivation bench was not favorable for the papaya seedlings production.