Abstract
ABSTRACT Information on the production of seedlings and initial growth of pomegranate irrigated with saline water is scarce in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of irrigation water salinity levels on the growth and tolerance of pomegranate seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, located at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region, Mossoró, RN, Brazil. A randomized block design with five treatments [electrical conductivities of irrigation water (ECw) of 0.6, 3.0, 6.0, 9.0, 12.0 dS m-1] and five replicates, with three plants per plot, was used. At 120 days after sowing, the following characteristics were evaluated: shoot, root and total lengths (cm); stem diameter (mm), dry mass of stem, leaves, root system and total (g); ratio between root and shoot dry mass; Dickson quality index and salinity tolerance. Growth and dry biomass accumulation in pomegranate seedlings were compromised with increased salinity in irrigation water, but with a lower intensity when subjected up to EC of 6.0 dS m-1. Regarding the criterion of evaluation of tolerance to salinity, pomegranate seedlings were moderately tolerant to salinity.
Highlights
Pomegranate has aroused the interest of several fruit growers, mainly in the Northeast region of Brazil, because this species, previously cultivated in small areas, has evolved to large production areas
There was a significant effect of salinity levels on all growth variables of pomegranate seedlings, except root system length (RSL), which had overall mean of 41.37 cm
Increased irrigation water salinity linearly reduced shoot length (Figure 1A), total length (Figure 1B) and stem diameter (Figure 1E) in pomegranate seedlings, causing decreases of 25.73, 20 and 23.24%, respectively, in plants irrigated using water with the highest EC level (12.0 dS m-1), compared to those irrigated with supply water (EC 0.6 dS m-1)
Summary
Pomegranate has aroused the interest of several fruit growers, mainly in the Northeast region of Brazil, because this species, previously cultivated in small areas, has evolved to large production areas. In Spain, ‘Mollar de Elche’ pomegranate is the most popular and most cultivated due to its vigorous characteristics, fast growth and adaptation to semi-arid climate conditions (MARM, 2010). From the agricultural point of view, it is a species with potential for the market and, in order to meet new demands, it is necessary to know its mechanisms of adaptation to adverse conditions and produce quality seedlings adapted to the semi-arid conditions of Brazil. The factors that most limit the development of species in arid environments is water scarcity and salinity. Using saline water in the irrigation of pomegranate seedlings can be a promising alternative because it is a species with characteristics of survival in semi-arid environment. The utilization of saline waters for irrigation with technical viability has increased water availability for agricultural production (Ribeiro et al, 2016)
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