Abstract
ABSTRACT: Physalis peruviana L. is a perennial plant, but commonly referred as annual in commercial crops. The cultivation of this species might be successful in Brazilian subtropical areas with an adequate and planned management. The objective of the present study was to quantify the production of Physalis peruviana L. with or without plastic covering over plant canopies, using two planting densities, managing the number of stems, and pruning side stems. This study was divided in two experiments; the first experiment evaluated the effect of spacing between each plant and the use of plastic covering in fruit production. The second experiment investigated the effect of the number of productive stems and of pruning in fruit production. The experimental design used for both experiments was randomized blocks, in 2 x 2 factorial scheme, which contained 6 blocks and 10 plants per plot. The following were analyzed for both experiments: production variables, estimated production, number of fruits per plant, mean fruit mass, mean fruit length and diameter, and chlorophyll relative index. Plastic covering and number of stems did not influence fruit production. The 3.0 x 0.5 m spacing without pruning side stems provided a larger production.
Highlights
Physalis peruviana L. is a species of the Solanaceae family, a perennial plant but usually referred as annual in commercial crops
Physalis peruviana L. seedlings were produced from seeds
There was not a significant interaction among the factors studied, being that only productivity presented a significant difference, when increasing planting density provided a greater number of fruits without altering the fruits‟ size (Table 1)
Summary
Physalis peruviana L. is a species of the Solanaceae family, a perennial plant but usually referred as annual in commercial crops. This plant cultivation might stay in production for up to two years with an adequate management and according to the predominant region and climate. After the second year, there is a decrease in fruit production and quality (MUNIZ et al, 2011). Plants can reach up to 2 meters high, needing a supporting and training system since it has an herbaceous and decumbent stem. Their roots are axial with several ramifications. The leaves are simple and oval shaped, presenting hairiness (GONÇALVES et al, 2012)
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