Abstract
Bell peppers are sensitive to salinity; therefore, it is necessary to find alternatives to reduce saline stress. An experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region, in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, to evaluate the effects of salinity and K+/Ca2+ ratios on bell pepper production. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks in a 5 x 4 factorial scheme with four replicates, corresponding to five K+/Ca2+ ratios (F1 = 3.3/1, F2 = 2.8/1, F3 = 2.2/1, F4 = 1.8/1, and F5 = 1.5/1) and four salinity levels in the nutrient solution using NaCl (1.75, 3.25, 4.75, and 6.25 dS m-1). The following parameters were evaluated: the number of fruits (total, marketable and unmarketable), the mean weight of fruits (marketable and unmarketable), fruit production (total, marketable and percentage of marketable fruits) and a salinity tolerance index. Generally, nutrient solution enrichment with K+ or Ca2+ did not cause significant increments in bell pepper yield. The fertigation treatments F2, F3, and F5 led to a higher bell pepper tolerance to salinity, allowing waters with higher salt concentrations to be used without causing a reduction in the yield.
Highlights
Bell peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) are one of the most consumed vegetables in Brazil
The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of fertigation with different K+/Ca2+ ratios and saline stress on the production of bell peppers cultivated on a coconut fiber substrate
According to the statistical analyses, all parameters were affected by the interaction of fertigation and salinity level (p < 0.01), indicating that bell pepper response to salinity varied depending on the fertigation treatment
Summary
Bell peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) are one of the most consumed vegetables in Brazil. In the last ten years, their production has sharply increased due to better adaptation to protected environments than other crops (Leonardo, Broetto, Villas Bôas, Almeida, & Marchese, 2007). Saline stress causes a reduction in photosynthetic activity, photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance, gas exchange and photosystem II efficiency, culminating in yield losses (Lima, Morais, Silva, Camara, & Willadino, 2017; Nunes, Dias, Moura, Souza Neto, & Costa, 2013; Amirinejad, Sayyari, Ghanbari, & Kordi, 2017). The use of this water for irrigation is conditioned on strategies that minimize the deleterious effects of salinity on crop growth, allowing saline water to be used without causing significant losses in the yield and quality of the products (Oliveira, Medeiros, Cunha, Souza, & Lima, 2016). The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of fertigation with different K+/Ca2+ ratios and saline stress on the production of bell peppers cultivated on a coconut fiber substrate
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