GROWTH AND DISTRIBUTION OF FINE ROOTS OF NEEM (Azadirachta indica) UNDER TWO FARMING METHODS IN THE NORTHEAST OF BRAZIL

PRISCILA LIRA DE MEDEIROS¹, GUALTER GUENTHER COSTA DA SILVA², ALEXANDRE SANTOS PIMENTA³*, ERMELINDA MARIA MOTA OLIVEIRA⁴, LEONARDO CASTELO DUARTE^5
1Forest Sciences Graduate Program of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
²Department of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
³Department of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
⁴Department of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
⁵Forest Sciences Graduate Program of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
* Corresponding Author : aspimenta@ufrnet.br

Received : 11-11-2016     Accepted : 25-02-2017     Published : 06-03-2017
Volume : 9     Issue : 11       Pages : 4020 - 4025
Int J Agr Sci 9.11 (2017):4020-4025

Keywords : Neem, Soil Management, Silvicultural Performance, Fine Roots
Academic Editor : Neyton Miranda
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : To the group of soil studies of the Agricultural School of Jundiai
Author Contribution : Priscila Lira de Medeiros: Obtaining data; Analysis and interpretation of data; Writing of the manuscript; statistical analysis

Neem is an alternative for supplying firewood demand in the Brazilian semiarid, however there is few research on management for such species in the Northeast of Brazil. This study aimed to evaluate the growth and distribution of fine roots of neem under two farming methods. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with two treatments (methods A and B) and four replications, considering three depths (0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm) and three sampling positions (row, between the row, and diagonal). Fine root samples were collected from selected trees. The samples were washed, scanned and data length and root surfaces were obtained. Analysis of experimental data showed for both methods that fine roots were concentrated in the first 20 cm of soil. The most significant difference was in the depth of 20-40 cm, where treatment B influenced the growth and distribution of fine roots.