Efeito de diferentes compassos no crescimento e rendimento de duas espécies de Amarantos (Amaranthus hybridus e A. cruentus)

Abstract

Amaranth is a pseudocereal belonging to the Amaranthaceae family. It is a crop of great nutritional importance. Although there is no documented evidence on its cultivation or grain consumption in Mozambique, its leaves are frequently harvested and consumed as leafy vegetables by communities, playing a relevant role in the diet and food security of Mozambicans. The introduction of this crop into national production systems could significantly contribute to agricultural diversification. The use of planting spacing is one of the production techniques that can increase or decrease yield, depending on the objective of the researcher or producer. In this context, the present study aims to evaluate the yield of two species and three different planting spacings. The experiment was conducted in the experimental field of the Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering (FAEF), using a randomized complete block design in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, in an area of ​​92.75 m², from November 11, 2024 to March 26, 2025. The two factors are: spacing (45x45 cm; 25x35 cm and 20x25 cm) and species (A. hybridus and A. cruentus), totaling 6 treatments with 5 repetitions. The measured variables were: number of leaves, plant height, aboveground biomass weight of plants, of stem with panicle, average yield of leaves and grains. There was no significant interaction effect for the variables number of leaves, plant height, average yield of aboveground biomass, of stem with panicle and average yield of leaves. However, a significant effect of the isolated factors was observed, with the species factor positively influencing the variables: number of leaves, plant height, biomass weight of the aerial part of the plants, stem with panicle, and average leaf yield, with A. cruentus being surpassed by A. hybridus, which recorded approximately 288.46 leaves/plant; 157.9g/plant; 664g/plant; 462.04g/plant and 226g/plant, respectively. A significant effect of the spacing factor was observed, with the 45 × 45 cm spacing providing greater performance, with approximately 247.7 leaves/plant, 804.647 g/plant of aboveground biomass per plant, 557.34 g/plant of stem with panicle, and 278.43 g/plant of leaves. A significant interaction effect was observed for the average grain yield, with the species A. hybridus and the 45 × 45 cm spacing registering the highest grain yield (40.975 g/plant).(TRADUÇÃO NOSSA)