Initial performance of Barbados gooseberry plants grown on different soil covers

Barbados gooseberry is an unconventional food plant with great protein production potential for human consumption. A field experiment was conducted four types of soil covers and six replications to optimize the cultivation this plant. Treatments were composed covers, forage peanut, straw from sun hemp millet, white plastic cover, a treatment without cover hoeing. After transplanting, initial growth seedlings analyzed through weekly monitoring height, stem diameter, number leaves. two months, first cut performed, fresh biomass quantified. Straw presented improved height leaf compared other treatments, resulting in higher yield gooseberry. Key words: Pereskia aculeata Mill., vegetable protein,