Comportamento vegetativo do tomateiro-cereja (Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium) irrigado com águas salinas

Abstract

Saltwater in irrigation is an alternative to agriculture in the semi-arid region of the Northeast of Brazil. Due to the lack of research on this theme, this work aimed at the effects of water salinity on the vegetative behavior of cherry tomatoes. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with 50% shade, using six water levels (0.5, 2.0, 3.5, 5.0, 6.5 and 8.0 dS m-1) and eight replicates. Absolute and relative growth rates in height, stem diameter, fresh epigene phytomass, dry leaf phytomass, days for initial, stem, root and total flowering, leaf biomass, root and root biomass were analyzed. The salinity reduced absolute and relative growth rates in height; the absolute growth rate of the fresh epigene phytomass and the dry foliar, caulinar, root and total phytomass; the allocation of the biomass; and the flowering days of the crop. The absolute and relative growth rates of the stem diameter, the relative growth rate of the fresh epigene phytomass and the root biomass allocation were not influenced by the increase in the electrical conductivity of the water. The leaf biomass allocation was the indicator that best represented the effect of saline stress and obtained linear growth