Abstract
Abstract: The production of arugula (Eruca sativa Mill.) in Brazil uses seeds produced in the conventional system, without availability of organic seeds. The aim of this research was to indicate the cultivars of arugula with best performance for commercial production and to evaluate seed production viability, as well as seed quality of these cultivars in the organic production system. Eight cultivars were evaluated in a protected environment for agronomic characteristics in two periods and for seed production. The parameters evaluated were plant height, number of leaves, shoot fresh and dry weight, yield, iron and vitamin C contents. For seed production, time for flowering, number of branches per plant, silique length, number of siliquae per plant, number of seeds per silique, yield, one thousand seed weight, first count of germination, germination and seed health. After storage, first germination count, germination, seedling emergence, emergence speed index and seed health were evaluated. “Astro” and “Giovana” performed well in the organic system. Organic arugula seeds can be produced with high yield and good seed quality in a protected environment, and the cultivars Astro and LG Maia are suitable for this purpose.
Highlights
Arugula, which belongs to the family Brassicaceae and is native to the Mediterranean, is a much-appreciated leafy vegetable, consumed in the form of salad, rich in vitamin C, potassium, sulfur and iron, and grown in various regions of Brazil (Filgueira, 2008).There are 2,756 arugula growers in the organic system registered in Brazil (MAPA, 2018); the seeds used by these growers are produced in the conventional system, not in the organic system
In the summer, there was a difference in the number of leaves (NL) and shoot dry weight (SDW) among the cultivars, with Agatha, Astro, Folha Larga, Giovana and LG Maia having the highest values, which did not differ from one another (Table 1)
It is noteworthy that two plants can be used per hole, with similar results for plant height, increasing bunch yield, as found by Reghin et al (2005), who tested the cultivar “Cultivada”
Summary
There are 2,756 arugula growers in the organic system registered in Brazil (MAPA, 2018); the seeds used by these growers are produced in the conventional system, not in the organic system. Organic seeds increase production costs because they are more expensive, since the options are either imported seeds - whose price in Brazil is 20% higher than that of conventional seeds (Nascimento, 2013) - or seeds produced in Brazil, whose yield is insufficient to meet the demands of producers. Seed companies in Brazil do not invest in organic seed production because the use of organic seeds is non-mandatory and there is a low demand for this sector, as a result of the higher cost of seeds. Producing organic seeds needs further development of technologies adapted to the conditions of Brazil, especially to ensure germination and health, in addition to identifying the most appropriate germplasm, with good commercial characteristics and resistance to pests and diseases (Nascimento, 2013)
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