Publicação on-line; 49 ref.; 2 tables; 5 illus.; Summary (En)

Abstract

In forest nurseries, one of the factors that change the growth and quality of seedlings is water supply, which has a
direct influence on metabolic processes such as stomatal conductance and photochemical efficiency of photosystem II.
This study aims to identify the influence of different watering regimes as well as the use of a water-retaining polymer
on the initial growth and metabolic processes of Enterolobium contortisiliquum seedlings. The experimental design
was in random blocks with a factorial scheme. Morphological attributes, as well as physiological and biochemical
attributes were investigated. We verified that the performance of E. contortisiliquum seedlings depends on the
watering regime provided to the plants; furthermore, up to 60 days after the application of the treatments, both the
height and diameter of the collection and the leaf water potential were similar in the water regimes of 8 mm day-1
and 12 mm day-1.

Keywords: abiotic stress, water potential, oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes.