Abstract
ABSTRACT Aiming to evaluate the effect of potassium (K) doses applied by the conventional method and fertigation in zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.), a field experiment was conducted in Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. The statistical design was a randomized block, with four replicates, in a 4 x 2 factorial scheme, which corresponded to four doses of K (0, 75, 150 and 300 kg K2O ha-1) and two fertilization methods (conventional and fertigation). The analyzed variables were: fruit mass (FM), number of fruits (NF), fruit length (FL), fruit diameter (FD), pulp thickness (PT), soluble solids (SS), yield (Y), water use efficiency (WUE) and potassium use efficiency (KUE), besides an economic analysis using the net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR) and payback period (PP). K doses influenced FM, FD, PT and Y, which increased linearly, with the highest value estimated at 36,828 kg ha-1 for the highest K dose (300 kg K2O ha-1). This dose was also responsible for the largest WUE, 92 kg ha-1 mm-1. KUE showed quadratic behavior and the dose of 174 kg K2O ha-1 led to its maximum value (87.41 kg ha-1 (kg K2O ha-1)-1). All treatments were economically viable, and the most profitable months were May, April, December and November.
Highlights
Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.), known in Brazil as ‘abóbora de moita’, ‘abobrinha italiana’ and ‘abobrinha de tronco’ (Filgueira, 2012), is a plant from the Cucurbitaceae family, cultivated in all regions of Brazil and one of the ten vegetables with highest economic value and internal production (Couto et al, 2009)
The experiment was conducted from September to November 2013, in the experimental area of the Weather Station of the Federal University of Ceará (UFC), located in the municipality of Fortaleza, CE, Brazil (3o 44’ S; 38o 33’ W; 19.5 m)
Similar to the result of the present study, Genuncio et al (2010), in an experiment with the tomato crop, observed that the supply of K2O did not influence the content of soluble solids of the fruits
Summary
Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.), known in Brazil as ‘abóbora de moita’, ‘abobrinha italiana’ and ‘abobrinha de tronco’ (Filgueira, 2012), is a plant from the Cucurbitaceae family, cultivated in all regions of Brazil and one of the ten vegetables with highest economic value and internal production (Couto et al, 2009). Its exploitation occurs in small farms with family labor, which contributes to maintaining farmers in rural areas and stimulates the generation of job and income (Costa et al, 2015). Silva et al (2013) observed that K was the nutrient absorbed in largest amount by pumpkin. The same occurred with other cucurbits, such as melon (Silva Júnior et al, 2006) and watermelon (Almeida et al, 2012; Nogueira et al, 2014)
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