Germinação de sementes de alface na presença de acículas de Araucaria angustifolia (Araucariaceae)

The Araucaria forest has a significant economic potential and a great ability to compose silvopastoral and agroforestry system. These characteristics create the need for new studies that relate possible effects of the interaction between the Araucaria species that are part of intercropping systems. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of the needles of Araucaria angustifolia on the germination and early development of seeds of Lactuca sativa. For that purpose, different tests were performed both with crushed and intact needles, all treatments were compared with the control to determine the interference in the germination of lettuce seeds. The control reached 100% germination, and the treatments of intact and crushed needles under the seed did not differ from the control ones in the end of the experiment. However, germination rate index of the crushed needles treatment under the seeds differed from the control by presenting a value much lower than the average. Regarding the treatment with intact and crushed needles on the seed, they had a germination rate index (2.87 and 0.00) and germination rate (46% and 0%), respectively, lower than the control values. Thus, the needles of A. angustifolia interfere in the seed germination of L. sativa, suggesting an allelopathic effect