Saline water and organic matter in the development and quality of Licania rigida Benth. seedlings

Licania rigida Benth. (oiticica) is a native species from the Northeastern Brazil. In this sense, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of irrigation with saline water and organic matter on the growth and quality of oiticica seedlings. The experiments were laid out in randomized complete block using a 5 × 2 factorial design related to electrical conductivity of irrigation water at 0.5, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5 and 6.0 dS m-1 in a substrate with and without organic castor bean compost (Ricinus communis) and soil in a volume ratio of 0:1 and 1:1 v/v. Growth in height, stem diameter, leaf number, leaf area, chlorophyll a and b and total chlorophyll indices, shoot and root dry matter and Dickson Quality Index were evaluated. The increase in water salinity inhibited biometric growth, seedlings production of root and shoot biomass, chlorophyll content and Dickson Quality Index. Increase in water salinity, except for root biomass, inhibited biometric growth, shoot biomass accumulation, chlorophyll a, b and total, chlorophyll indexes and quality index of oiticica seedlings. In the results, although the Dickson Quality Index did not decrease with increasing water salinity and did not vary among treatments with and without organic compost, the transplanting of seedlings in the field was found to be suitable. Key words: Salinity, organic compost, oiticica.