Evaluation of three rootstocks root system for acid lime ‘tahiti’ at Piauí state

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the development of the root system of three rootstocks for ‘Tahiti’acid lime [Citrus latifolia (Yu.Tanaka) Tanaka]: Rangpur lime (C. limonia Osbeck); Swingle citrumelo [Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. x C. paradisi Macf.]; Flying Dragon trifoliate (P. trifoliata (L.) Raf.var. (FD) – in the soil and environment conditions of the county of José de Freitas, Piauí, located on 04º 52' latitude S and 42º 42' longitude W and 110 m of altitude, in Aw climate. It was used the trench method. A wooden frame divided into 0.1 x 0.2 m parts was fixed in the soil profile and a digital photograph was taken from each part. These photographs were analyzed by software SIARCS 3.0 for sizing of the root system and the data gotten, submitted to the analysis of variance with Tukey test at the level of 5% of probability. The experimental design was entirely randomized, with three treatments (rootstocks) and four replications (trenches). The root systems of the rootstocks had 90% of concentration until the depth of 0,4 m, and it was observed that 60% of the roots were concentrated in the first 0,2 m. The root system of the Rangpur lime demonstrated to be superior, in lenght (cm.200 cm-²) to the Flying Dragon trifoliate and Swingle citrumelo root systems.