PRODUCTION OF SWEET PEPPER SEEDLINGS IN SUBSTRATES CONTAINING VERMICOMPOST

The experiment was conducted at the Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuaria de Minas Gerais - EPAMIG Zona da Mata, Vicosa, MG, from 02/2008 to 03/2008 to evaluate the use of vermicompost (worm humus) originated from cattle manure, alone or mixed with vermiculite to produce sweet pepper (Capsicum annum) seedlings. The design was completely randomized with 4 repetitions and 8 treatments, being 4 types of substrates: Plantamax (R); 100% of vermicompost; 75% of vermicompost + 25% of vermiculite; 50% of vermicompost + 50% of vermiculite and two bell pepper hybrids, Etna F1 and Tiberius F1. Sowing was performed in expanded polystyrene trays, containing 128 cells. The number of plantlets emerged was analyzed daily to determine the emergence and germination velocity index. At 37 days after sowing, plant height, stem diameter, SPAD index, leaf length and width, and fresh and dry mass of the plants were evaluated. Overall, the substrate Plantmax (R) produced more vigorous seedlings. However, the substrates with 100% of vermicompost and 75% of vermicompost + 25% of vermiculite produced seedlings with the same SPAD index and stem diameter values for the two hybrids and corresponding values of fresh and dry mass for the hybrid Tiberius. The vermicompost originated from cattle manure can be used as substrate for sweet pepper seedling production with mixture of up to 25% of vermiculite, mainly, for the smallest cost in relation to the commercial substrate.