QUALITY OF PURSLANE (PORTULACA OLERACEA L.) SEEDLINGS PRODUCED IN CONTAINER VOLUMES

Portulaca oleracea L. is a non-conventional leafy vegetable with high nutritional value and broad adaptability. However, in the literature, there are few studies that highlight seedling production and the most suitable container volume, which can lead to material waste, especially substrate. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of purslane seedlings produced in different container volumes. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the experimental unit of the Federal University of Acre, from January to February 2024. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four treatments and ten replications. The treatments were the different container volumes used: 50, 100, 150, and 200 cm³. After 30 days of cultivation, plant height, stem diameter, leaf dimensions, number of leaves and shoots, root length, fresh and dry biomass of shoots and roots, total biomass, and Dickson Quality Index were evaluated. The collected data were subjected to univariate and multivariate statistical analysis, both at 5% probability. There was a significant effect of container volume on the evaluated variables in purslane seedlings. Purslane seedlings produced in containers with 150 and 200 cm³ showed superior quality. Containers with volumes of 50 and 100 cm³ reduced the biometric characteristics of the species.