Abstract
ABSTRACT The use of management strategies or changes in the cultivation environment can reduce the impacts of irrigation water salinity on plant development. Therefore, in this research, physiological responses, initial growth, and plant quality of Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan (Angico Branco) were evaluated under different levels of shading and electrical conductivity of the irrigation water, seeking to identify the most favorable conditions for the development of this species using brackish water. The experiment was carried out in randomized blocks with split plots and four replications. The plots were formed by four environments with different shading levels: 0 (full sun), 30, 50, and 70%, and the subplots, formed by five increasing levels of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water: 0.4, 1.6, 2.8, 4.0, and 5.2 dS.m−1. The following variables were evaluated: substrate electrical conductivity, leaf gas exchange, plant height, biomass production, and Dickson quality index at 40 days in a nursery. The use of artificial shading favored plant development and photosynthesis rate, even when irrigated with moderate and high salinity water. The DQI showed that A. colubrina plants presented higher quality index when produced under intermediate shading (30% and 50%), with yield losses below 20% when irrigated with water with electrical conductivity up to 2.8 dS.m−1.
Highlights
Caatinga is the only exclusively Brazilian biome and is completely inserted in the Northeast Region
The Dickson quality index (DQI) showed that A. colubrina plants presented higher quality index when produced under intermediate shading (30% and 50%), with yield losses below 20% when irrigated with water with electrical conductivity up to 2.8 dS.m-1
The electrical conductivity of the substrate, in the substrate:water extract (1:1) increased linearly with the levels of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water, and the greatest accumulation of salts was observed in the full sun environment (Figure 1)
Summary
Caatinga is the only exclusively Brazilian biome and is completely inserted in the Northeast Region In this region, the burning of wood from native vegetation for energy production has become one of the main sources of income and a devastating form of environmental degradation (Araújo Filho, 2013; Santos et al, 2014). The salinity problem is present in thousands of brackish water wells in the Brazilian semiarid region, mainly in the crystalline areas (Silva et al, 2007) These water sources could be used in productive activities, including the production of seedlings of forest species. In most cases, this is due to the sensitivity of the species to salinity, especially in the initial phase of development. These impacts can be lessened with the use of management strategies or even changes in the growing environment (Cavalcante et al, 2021; Lacerda et al, 2021)
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