Use of transparent polyethylene greenhouse and windbreaks to produce rubber-tree rootstocks

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out in order to study the effect of two kinds of parcially protected environments: greenhouse cover with transparent polyethylene of low density and plastic screan windbreaks, to grow rubber-tree rootstocks, during the winter season in Campinas, SP, Brazil. Diameter, height, leaf area, and dry weight of young rubber plants were mensured, and results showed that protected plants by windbreaks did not present significant differences during the initial growing stage, in relation to the non protected ones. The use of greenhouse, however, caused increments in diameter (60%), height (108%), leaf area (266%), and dry weight (286%) of the rootstocks. Atfer six months, considering that a minimum diameter of 8 mm is needed to perform green budding, 60% of rootstocks conducted inside the greenhouse were in condition to be budded, while in the two other treatments, the plants did not reach the minimum diameter.