Dual inoculation of Casuarina sp. with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Frankia actinomycetes is typically intended to improve seedlings survival and to increase growth in degraded and low fertility soils and to replace fertilizers in low-input agricultural systems. Thus, this field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of inoculating seedlings of Casuarina cunninghamiana with mycorrhizal fungi and Frankia on tree growth on a sandy soil (Oxisol) managed with mineral fertilisation and inter-row cultivation of cover crops during 75 months. The following treatments were applied to seedlings of C. cunninghamiana: 1) inoculation with a mixture of two Frankia sp. strains (KB5 and HFPCcI3) plus AMF (Glomus clarum and Gigaspora margarita); 2) inoculation with a mixture of Frankia strains (KB5 and HFPCcI3); 3) inoculation with AMF; 4) mineral N and 5) control (no inoculated and without mineral N). Fertilization with N in the nursery improved tree height from 3 to 50 months. Diameter and wood volume were favoured by N at 10 and 17 months. Inoculation of C. cunninghamiana seedlings with Frankia showed a positive effect on height growth at 36 and 50 months. AMF and AMF plus Frankia had no effect in DBH and wood volume growth of C. cunninghamiana. This study points out the possibility of inoculation of C. cunninghamiana with selected Frankia for wood production in sandy soils managed with mineral fertilisation and inter-row cultivation of cover crops.

A Grevillea robusta é uma espécie arbórea nativa das regiões subtropicais costeiras da Austrália. Foi uma das primeiras plantas da Austrália cultivada fora de sua área de ocorrência natural, principalmente como ornamental. Essa espécie é recomendada para plantio nas regiões mais quentes do Paraná, sendo apreciada para arborização de lavouras de café. Com o objetivo de comparar o desempenho de procedências de G. robusta, instalou-se um experimento no município de Londrina, PR. Quatro procedências australianas foram fornecidas pela Divisão Florestal da CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) e a procedência local foi coletada no município de Cianorte, PR. Aos 10 anos de idade, a produção volumétrica dos materiais importados foi superior à do material local em 68,5%, 61,2%, 50,6% e 39,7% para as procedências Boyd, Woodenbong, Wivenhoe e Emu Vale, respectivamente. Todas as procedências australianas apresentaram crescimento superior ao da fonte local comercial. A procedência Wivenhoe se destacou pelo crescimento em altura, enquanto a procedência Boyd apresentou maior crescimento diamétrico e em volume. Conclui-se que a substituição das fontes de sementes disponíveis comercialmente no Paraná por sementes de procedências selecionadas pode aumentar a produtividade de Grevillea robusta na região norte do Paraná.Palavras-chave: Grevillea robusta; teste de procedências; cultivos florestais.                                AbstractGrowth performance of Grevillea robusta provenances in northern Parana. Grevillea robusta, a native species of subtropical coastal areas of Australia, is successfully cultivated in several countries. It is recommended for planting in warmer regions of Paraná where it is the favourite species for intercropping with coffee. A trial established in Londrina County, Paraná state, aimed to compare growth performance in relation to different provenances of G. robusta. Among the tested provenances, there were four of them provided by CSIRO’s Division of Forestry and Forest Products and one provided by a local source, from Cianorte County, provided by Paraná State Environmental Institute. Ten years after field planting, wood volume produced by Australian provenances were 68.5%, 61.2%, 50.6% and 39.7% higher than that of the local seed source (respectively Boyd, Woodenbong, Wivenhoe and Emu Vale provenances). Wivenhoe provenance attained the highest height growth and Boyd provenance the best growth in diameter and volume. This suggests that productivity growth can be achieved by seed source replace.Keywords: Grevillea robusta; provenance trial; tree plantings.

This study evaluates the potential of rubber tree clones (Hevea spp.) under four tapping systems for the Northwestern region of the State of Paraná with the objective of enhance genetic diversification and increase natural rubber production in this new and promising region for rubber tree cultivation by selecting the better combination of clone and tapping system. The experiment was installed at Guanabara Farm, municipality of Paranapoema, Paraná State, in a split-plot randomized complete blocks experimental design with three replications.

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