SPAD index in cocoa intercropped with different green manures in agroecological agroforestry system

Abstract

The agroforestry system is an alternative production that seeks to minimize the effect of human intervention on natural systems, and associated with green manures, soil degradation is reduced. One species that adapts very well to SAFs is cacao, an important environmental factor for its development, nitrogen, related to its photosynthetic capacity. With the use of the chlorophyllometer, the SPAD index is obtained, which is proportional to the chlorophyll content, and correlates with the N. The objective of this work is to compare the SPAD index in the cacao tree, cultivated in a consortium with green manures in an agroforestry system, in the Zone of the Southern Forest of Pernambuco, in the municipality of Barreiros, with the use of the chlorophyllometer. The treatments were the green manures: cowpea beans, pork beans, sorghum and pigeon peas. The analysis of variance for the different dates of SPAD index readings of cacao leaves did not show significant differences among the four intercropped green manures.