GIBERELINA NA EMERGÊNCIA E DESENVOLVIMENTO INICIAL DE PLÂNTULAS DE MAMÃO (Carica papaya) 'CV ALIANÇA'

Brazil is the second-largest papaya producer in the world, surpassed only by India. The states of Espírito Santo and Bahia are responsible for about 65% of the national production. Espírito Santo stands out as the leading producer and exporter of papaya in the country, with an average productivity of 58.7 t/ha/year, considered one of the highest in Brazil. Papaya seeds exhibit post-harvest dormancy, making sexual propagation difficult. Methods to overcome this dormancy have been tested, with growth regulators being notable. The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of gibberellin on the emergence and initial development of papaya seedlings of the Aliança cultivar. Papaya seeds were extracted from ripe fruits, cleaned, and dried in the shade. The influence of gibberellin at concentrations of 1.000 mg.L-1, 2.000 mg.L-1, 3.000 mg.L-1, 4.000 mg.L-1 was tested, with untreated seeds as a control. Seeds were immersed in the hormone solution for 1 hour and sown in 150 mL tubes. The experimental design was a randomized block with five treatments and four replicates, totaling 500 seedlings. The following evaluations were performed: emergence percentage, emergence speed index, mean emergence time, plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, root length, fresh leaf mass, dry leaf mass, fresh root mass, and dry root mass. Gibberellic acid demonstrated a positive effect on seed germination and seedling development of papaya, with the ideal average dosage to meet all evaluated variables being 1,724.5 mg.L-1.