Abstract
The objective was to evaluate the effect of calcium silicate on the chlorophyll content and gas exchange of two tomato hybrids. The design used was in randomized blocks in a 2x5 factorial scheme, with four replications. The first factor was composed of two tomato hybrids: Ivety and Natália, and the second factor was composed of five doses of calcium silicate (0, 150, 300, 450, and 600 kg ha-1), applied to the substrate before planting the seedlings. Gas exchange: net CO2 assimilation rate (A), leaf transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (gs), internal CO2 concentration (Ci), water-use efficiency (WUE), intrinsic efficiency water use (iWUE), and instant carboxylation efficiency (ACi); SPAD index and the levels of chlorophylls a, b, and total were evaluated. The analyzes were performed in the stages of first flowering (17 days after transplanting - DAT), full flowering (58 DAT), and full fruiting (78 DAT). At 17 DAT, no difference was observed for gas exchange variables and photosynthetic pigments. The application of calcium silicate reduced gas exchange and photosynthetic pigments at 58 DAT. The hybrid Natália had the highest A, WUE, iWUE, and ACi at 78 DAT. However, the hybrid Ivety in the same growth stage, in full fruiting, was superior only for the internal concentration of CO2 and SPAD index, with no difference for photosynthetic pigments.
Highlights
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a vegetable present in the daily diet of the population
Si acts as a physical barrier, increasing the internal CO2 concentration, net CO2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, and water-use efficiency in tomato plants grown at different levels of salinity (Haghighi and Pessarakli, 2013)
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of calcium silicate on the chlorophyll content and gas exchange of two tomato hybrids
Summary
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a vegetable present in the daily diet of the population. Mineral elements can affect the morphology and physiology of photosynthetic organs (Rocha et al, 2019). Among the macro and micronutrients, silicon (Si) has been studied in recent years since its presence in the cell wall of plant tissue results in benefits for plants. Not acting directly on the main metabolic pathways of the plant, when present, this element can provide greater tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses (Rodrigues et al, 2011). Silicon is absorbed in the form of orthosilicic (H4SiO4), being considered a beneficial nutrient for plants, since it accumulates in the cell wall, in the xylem vessels, and points of transpiration (Rodrigues et al, 2011). Si acts as a physical barrier, increasing the internal CO2 concentration, net CO2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, and water-use efficiency in tomato plants grown at different levels of salinity (Haghighi and Pessarakli, 2013)
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