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Abstract
Schinus terebinthifolius is a native Brazilian plant. It is wide-spread throughout Brazil and is popularly used as a medicinal plant. Research on this plant is encouraged by the Ministry of Health to investigate its therapeutic potential and to ensure its distribution in the National Health System. Thus, an experiment was carried out in Dourados-MS (22°11'53.8"S and 54°56'0.12"W) to evaluate the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus levels on early development, biomass yield and chemical composition of the essential oil of Schinus terebinthifolius. Five P2O5 rates (20, 120, 200, 280 and 380 kg ha−1) and five N rates (6, 36, 60, 84 and 114 kg ha−1) were used. Treatments were defined using the Plan Puebla III matrix, resulting in nine combinations of P2O5 and N levels, respectively (kg ha−1): 280 and 84; 280 and 36; 120 and 6; 120 and 36; 120 and 84; 200 and 60; 380 and 84, 20 and 36, and 280 and 114. The experimental design was a randomized block with four replications. Plants were harvested 105 and 213 days after transplanting. Phosphorus and nitrogen influenced plant height (174.65 cm), stem diameter (14.32 mm), fresh mass of leaves (169.67 g plant−1) and dry matter of leaves (51.01 g plant−1). Essential oil content (0.16 ml plant−1) was also influenced. The major constituents of the essential oil were α-pinene (15.20-15.56 %), limonene (13.58-14.12 %), sabinene (8.98-9.17 %), β-pinene (8.18-8.99 %), α-copaen (8.98-9.49 %) and z-zalvene (8.56-9.19 %). Thus, we recommend harvesting 213 days after transplanting and growing plants with 249.15 P2O5 and 98 N (kg ha−1).