Foliar gas exchange, fruit quality and water use efficiency of cape Gooseberry under different irrigation depths and mulching at greenhouse conditions

Eduardo Augusto Agnellos Barbosa,Ricardo Antonio Ayub,Isabela Leticia Pessenti,Ângela Da Luz,André Belmont Pereira

doi:10.1590/0100-29452019001

Eduardo Augusto Agnellos Barbosa, Ricardo Antonio Ayub + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-29452019001

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Abstract

Abstract The current study aimed at evaluating gas exchanges, yield, water use efficiency and fruit quality of cape gooseberry in response to different irrigation depths with or without mulching of oat residues on pots at greenhouse conditions. Four irrigation depths were tested: 50%, 100%, 125% e 150% of reference evapotranspiration (ETo). Leaf gas exchanges were evaluated by an infrared gas analyzer at different stages of the crop. Throughout the harvest, yield per plant and yield components were assessed in conjunction with water-use efficiency (WUE) and fruit quality responses. Stomata conductance at the flowering and fructification stages showed a smaller limitation under the treatments 125 and 150%ETo. It should be noticed that the aforementioned treatments increased in 83% fresh fruit mass per plant in comparison to 50%ETo. We found a higher instantaneous water-use efficiency throughout flowering under 150%ETo, as well as at the fructification under 125%ETo treatments. Nevertheless, under 125%ETo conditions without mulching the greatest WUE was found, whereas the lowest WUE was obtained under the 50%ETo treatment with no mulching. The treatment 125%ETo resulted in the highest SS and pH, whilst the treatment 150%ETo with mulching evidenced the highest Ratio along with the lowest total acidity observed.

Highlights

The crop of cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) belongs to the Solanaceous family, and South America is considered to be its center of origin, and currently Colombia is the world major producer and exporter
Owing to variations of the irrigated volume under different treatments (Figure 1), it is highlighted the limitation of water replenishment to the plants submitted to an irrigation depth of 50% of ETo, which revealed that at any event of irrigation the water volume to be applied was above a 150 mL pot -1 threshold
Under the experimental conditions of this work, it is possible to affirm that up until 28 days after transplant of the cape gooseberry the irrigation depth based on 50% of ETo did not alter the leaf gas exchanges

Summary

Introduction

The crop of cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) belongs to the Solanaceous family, and South America is considered to be its center of origin, and currently Colombia is the world major producer and exporter. Cape gooseberry is a perennial plant of indeterminate growth and develops properly at temperatures varying from 8 to 20 °C, relative humidity between 70 to 80% and rainfall distribution between 1000 to 1800 mm annually (TAPIA and FRIES, 2007). It is an excellent choice for small and medium farmers, with the possibility to be grown on pots under a greenhouse condition (RODRIGUES et al 2013). This expansion happens, among others factors, as a function of major control of production environment, plant protections over extreme weather events, increase of plant yield, water economy, and higher water use efficiency (CRITTEN and BAILEY, 2002; KITTAS et al, 2017)

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