Physic nut vegetative growth in different agrosilvopastoral system planting arrangements

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different planting arrangements on the vegetative growth of physic nut trees established in two agrosilvopastoral intercropping systems. The experiment was carried out in the municipality of Coronel Pacheco, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in a randomized complete block design, in a split‑plot arrangement. The experimental unit was represented by five spacings: 6x3 m (555 plants per hectare), 12x(2x2) m (714 plants per hectare), 10x(2x2) m (833 plants per hectare), 8x(2x2) m (1,000 plants per hectare), and 6x1.5 m (1,111 plants per hectare); and the subplot, by two intercropping systems: agrossilvopastoral (crop‑livestock‑forestry) and silvopastoral (livestock‑forestry). The evaluations were carried out during the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 harvest seasons. The plant spacing of 6x3 m provided higher crown diameter and number of shoots of physic nut plants in the 2010/2011 harvest season. In the 2011/2012 harvest season, a higher height growth was observed with the 8x(2x2) m plant spacing. The physic nut x corn x forage intercropping system provides higher physic nut plant growth for all studied variables in both harvest seasons.