Abstract
The objective was to evaluate leaf area and gas exchange of okra plants for different irrigation depths, organic matter content and mulch. The activities were conducted in an experimental area of the State University of Paraiba, Campus IV, Catole do Rocha-PB. An experimental design with randomized blocks, treatments distributed in a factorial 2 × 5 × 2 related to two irrigation levels, 100 and 50% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), five levels of organic matter in the soil (1.8, 2.8, 3.8, 4.8 and 5.8%) and soil with and without mulch, totaling 20 treatments replicated in four blocks, was used. The experimental unit consisted of 27 plants. The increase of soil organic matter stimulated growth in leaf area and the gas exchange of okra plants. The irrigation with the smallest depth of water inhibited the expansion of leaf area, but provided a greater efficiency in okra's gas exchange. Mulch alleviated the reduced effects of irrigation water depth and stimulated the activity of okra gas exchanges. Key words: Abelmoschus esculentus, physiology, leaf area.
Highlights
The okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) is a very popular vegetable in tropical and subtropical regions
All variables responded to the isolated effect of irrigation depths, except CO2 assimilation rates and water use efficiency (WUE) (Figures 2, 4 and 5)
Leaf area increased with increased water depths in plants and soil organic matter content in the soil (Figure 1)
Summary
The okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) is a very popular vegetable in tropical and subtropical regions It belongs to the Malvaceae family due to the hardiness of plants and especially to the tolerance to heat, and it is a culture of easy handling (Oliveira et al, 2003). Due to the growing preference by consumers, a significant increase in okra crop in Brazil has been reported, mainly in the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Sergipe (Cavalcante et al, 2010) This expansion expresses the need for studies that report irrigation managements of okra, as well as the use of technologies that minimize the effects of water stress in order to promote yields with economic viability. Considering the above, the objective was to evaluate leaf area and gas exchange of okra plants for different irrigation depths, organic matter content and mulch
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