Abstract
ABSTRACT Due to the quantitative and qualitative limitation of water resources, saline water irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilisation can contribute positively to the expansion of sunflower cultivation in the semiarid region of Northeast Brazil. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate production components and yield of sunflower, cv. "Embrapa 122-V2000‟, irrigated with waters of different salinity levels (electrical conductivity - ECw) and fertilised with varying amounts of N in a field experiment in a eutrophic Quartzarenic Neosol from November 2012 to February 2013. The experiment was performed in a completely randomised block design in split plots, in a 5 x 4 factorial scheme, which corresponded to five ECw levels (0.15, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 dS m-1) and four N levels (60, 80, 100 and 120 kg ha-1), with three replicates and 30 plants per plot. The interaction between water salinity levels and N did not have significant effects on the studied variables; irrigation water salinity had isolated negative effects on the total number of achenes, number of viable achenes, productivity and oil yield of achenes. The increase in N levels stimulated the total number and the number of viable achenes, the mass of 1,000 achenes, capitulum diameter and productivity of achenes of sunflower, cv. "Embrapa 122-V2000‟, but had no effect on the oil content of achenes. N levels of up to 100 kg ha-1 promoted adequate oil content in the achenes of sunflower, cv "Embrapa 122-V2000‟.
Highlights
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an annual dicotyledonous plant from the Asteraceae family, originated from North America, and cultivated in all continent
The main producers are Russia, Ukraine, Argentina and Middle Eastern countries. It can be cultivated in all regions of Brazil because its development and yield are little influenced by latitude, altitude and photoperiod (ZOBIOLE et al, 2010)
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of irrigation water salinity and N levels applied to the soil on the production components and oil yield of sunflower
Summary
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an annual dicotyledonous plant from the Asteraceae family, originated from North America, and cultivated in all continent. For H. annuus, high salt concentrations in the water or the soil, besides reducing water potential, cause toxic effects and lead to functional and metabolic disorders (SILVA et al, 2009), resulting in growth inhibition and yield and quality losses of achenes and oil. This situation is frequent in oilseed crops in which the harmful effects of salinity compromise the development, as reported by Correia et al (2009) for peanuts (Arachis hipógea); Lima et al (2014) for papaya and Nobre et al (2010) and Guedes Filho et al (2011) for sunflower
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