Abstract
ABSTRACT Water resources in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil commonly contain high salt concentrations, compromising the quality of water for agriculture. Thus, adopting techniques that make the use of these resources feasible in agriculture is fundamental. The present study aimed to evaluate the gas exchanges, quantum yield and photosynthetic pigments of grafted West Indian cherry subjected to salt stress and potassium fertilization under greenhouse conditions in the municipality of Campina Grande, PB, Brazil. Treatments were distributed in randomized blocks, composed of two levels of electrical conductivity - ECw (0.8 and 3.8 dS m-1) of water and four doses of potassium (50, 75, 100 and 125% of the dose recommended for the crop), with three replicates. The dose relative to 100% corresponded to 19.8 g of K2O per plant. Gas exchanges, chlorophyll a fluorescence and photosynthetic pigments of West Indian cherry are negatively affected by irrigation using water with electrical conductivity of 3.8 dS m-1, which compromises the photosynthetic apparatus of the plant, a situation evidenced by the reduction in photosystem II quantum efficiency. Increasing potassium doses led to increments in transpiration, chlorophyll a maximum fluorescence and chlorophyll b content in West Indian cherry grown under salt stress, but do not attenuate the negative effects of irrigation with 3.8 dS m-1 water on its potential photochemical efficiency.
Highlights
West Indian cherry (Malpighia emarginata) fruits are known for their pleasant taste, high contents of vitamin C, vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, iron, calcium (SÁ et al, 2017), anthocyanins and carotenoids, compounds which have beneficial effects on human health for their known antioxidant action (MACIEL et al, 2010).The crop is adapted to the most diverse climates and can be found in several regions of the planet, but its commercial cultivation is concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions (ADRIANO et al, 2011), such as those found in the Brazilian territory.Brazil is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of this fruit in the world
The present study aimed to evaluate the gas exchanges, quantum yield and photosynthetic pigments of grafted West Indian cherry subjected to salt stress and potassium fertilization
The interaction between the water salinity levels and K doses had no significant influence on any of the variables evaluated at 400 days after transplanting
Summary
West Indian cherry (Malpighia emarginata) fruits are known for their pleasant taste, high contents of vitamin C, vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, iron, calcium (SÁ et al, 2017), anthocyanins and carotenoids, compounds which have beneficial effects on human health for their known antioxidant action (MACIEL et al, 2010).The crop is adapted to the most diverse climates and can be found in several regions of the planet, but its commercial cultivation is concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions (ADRIANO et al, 2011), such as those found in the Brazilian territory.Brazil is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of this fruit in the world. West Indian cherry is cultivated in the Northeast, North, South and Southeast regions (ADRIANO et al, 2011), and the Northeast region stands out due to its soil and climatic conditions, to which the crop is better adapted. In this region, its production reaches 22,964 tons per year in an area of. 7,237 ha, which represents approximately 70% of the national production, making the crop a promising option for the Northeast region, due to the prospects for the fruit market, constituting a source of income for rural producers (CAETANO, 2010).
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