Saline stress effect on cowpea beans growth under biofertilizer correction

Ednangelo Duarte Pereira,Jilson De Nazaré José Adriano,Chrislene Nojosa Dias Fernandes,Albanise Barbosa Marinho,Elísia Gomes Ramos,Francisca Robevania Medeiros Borges

doi:10.14393/bj-v35n5a2019-42387

Abstract

New strategies to increase growth and food crops productivity in saline soils are priorities in the research. The experiment was carried out in a pot to investigate the growth of cowpea cv. Canapu in response to saline stress under the correction of a mixed biofertilizer. Five irrigation water salinity levels and three doses of the mixed biofertilizer were tested, with four replicates at each level. The increase in salinity level resulted in reductions in stem diameter, leaves number, shoot biomass and roots. The mixed biofertilizer use was able to minimize the effect of salinity in all analyzed variables, improving the cowpea growth and development, protecting from saline stress negative impacts. In addition, the mixed biofertilizer use may be an option to improve crop growth and productivity in salt affected soils.

Highlights

IntroductionIt’s considered moderately tolerant to salinity and may be cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions, such as the Brazilian northeast, which is limiting to other species
Walp is one of the main economically planted crops, being a cereal used as food for people and animals, with high nutritional value (QADOS, 2011)
Most crops are grown under irrigation and inadequate irrigation management leads to secondary salinization, affecting 20% of irrigated land worldwide (GLICK et al, 2007; SHRIVASTAVA; KUMAR, 2015)

Summary

Introduction

It’s considered moderately tolerant to salinity and may be cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions, such as the Brazilian northeast, which is limiting to other species. In these regions, most crops are grown under irrigation and inadequate irrigation management leads to secondary salinization, affecting 20% of irrigated land worldwide (GLICK et al, 2007; SHRIVASTAVA; KUMAR, 2015). Salinity may affect plants in various ways such as drought stress, ionic toxicity, nutritional disorders, oxidative stress, altered metabolic processes, membrane disorganization, and reduced cell division and expansion (ZHU, 2007; SIDARI et al, 2008; MUSCOLO et al, 2013).

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Results