USE OF ASSAI SEEDS, PALM HEART AND GREEN COCONUT PERICARP FIBERS AS SUBSTRATES FOR THE NOBLE DENDROBIUM ORCHID

Abstract

The noble dendrobium orchid (Dendrobium nobile), is an ornamental species native of Southeast Asia, easy to grow, with profuse blossoming during springs, been nowadays the cheapest orchid in the market and so, one of the most commercialized. Tree fern (Dicksonia sellowiana) fibers from their trucks have been reputed as the best substrate for orchids, but due to its overexploitation, its gathering from nature and use were prohibited and so, alternative substrates have been fetched. In the present work was studied the influence of different substrates on survival, lateral shoot emission (“Keykes”), and vigor of the orchid noble dendrobium (Dendrobium nobile). Treatments applied were: 1) tree fern dust – considered as a control treatment; 2) mix of tree fern dust with dried seed of palm heart at the proportion of 1:1; 3) washed pericarp fibers from green coconut (Coccus nucifera); 4) pericarp fibers from green coconut; 5) dried seed of palm heart (Euterpe edulis); and 6) dried seed of assai (E, oleracea).The substrates made with washed pericarp fibers from green coconut and pericarp fibers from green coconut did not differ statistically from the substrates formulated with the tree fern dust only or a mixture of tree fern dust: dried seed of palm heart, and so, can be used as alternatives to tree fern dust. Due to high availability of green coconuts, assai and palm heart seeds, it is suggested that improvements, in the formulation and in the management of plants grown on substrates that use them as a base, continue to be fetched. They are suggested: mixtures with other materials, conjugated to irrigation and fertilization systems to improve their performance and the search for more adapted orchid species to such substrates. KEYWORDS: Alternative substrate, Formula, Xaxim.