SALINE WATER IRRIGATION AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON THE CULTIVATION OF COLORED FIBER COTTON

Geovani Soares De Lima,Lauriane Almeida Dos Anjos Soares,Elysson Marcks Gonçalves Andrade,Hans Raj Gheyi,Adaan Sudario Dias

doi:10.1590/1983-21252018v31n118rc

Geovani Soares De Lima, Lauriane Almeida Dos Anjos Soares + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-21252018v31n118rc

Copy DOI

Abstract

ABSTRACT In Northeast Brazil, the cultivation of colored fiber cotton has stood out as one of the agricultural activities of expressive importance because its fiber has various applications in the industry and it is a labor-demanding crop. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the growth, water consumption, water use efficiency and production of the colored fiber cotton cv. ‘BRS Rubi’, as a function of saline water irrigation and nitrogen (N) doses. The experiment was conducted in lysimeters, under greenhouse conditions, in eutrophic Regolithic Neosol, with a sandy loam texture, in Campina Grande-PB, Brazil. The plants were irrigated using water with electrical conductivities (ECw) of 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 and 9.1 dS m-1 and fertilized with N doses (ND) of 65, 100, 135, 170 and 205 mg N kg-1 soil, in a completely randomized block design, with three replicates. Irrigation using water with an ECw above 5.1 dS m-1, hampered growth, water consumption and water use efficiency of ‘BRS Rubi’ cotton. Among the organs, the cotton root system was less affected by the salt stress in comparison to the shoots. N fertilization did not mitigate the deleterious effect of salt stress on cotton growth, water consumption, water use efficiency and production. The interaction between water salinity and N fertilization had positive effects on total weight of seeds and lint, and the highest values were obtained in plants irrigated with water of ECw 7.6 and 7.5 dS m-1 and ND of 65 mg N kg-1 of soil.

Highlights

In the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil, low rainfall, irregular rainfall distribution and intense evaporation occur throughout the year
This study aimed to evaluate the growth, water consumption, water use efficiency and production of the colored fiber cotton cv
The tip of the drain inside the lysimeter was involved in a nonwoven geotextile (Bidim OP 30) to avoid obstruction by soil material and the other tip was placed in a plastic bottle to collect the drained water and estimate plant water consumption

Summary

Introduction

In the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil, low rainfall, irregular rainfall distribution and intense evaporation occur throughout the year. The availability of water to agriculture has been gradually reduced in both quality and quantity, it becomes necessary to use water with high salt concentrations to meet the irrigation demand (SILVA et al, 2014). The saline concentration can limit the growth and production of the crops, due to the reduction in the osmotic potential in the root environment and simultaneous occurrences of ionic toxicity and nutritional imbalances (KHAN; PANDA, 2008; ROSALES et al, 2012). In the semi-arid areas of Northeast Brazil, the cotton crop (Gossypium hirsutum L.) stands out as one of the main crops for its social and economic value. Other important advantages, are the use of the cotton seeds, generating lint, added-value edible oil for human consumption and cotton cake to complement the cattle diet (JERÔNIMO et al, 2014)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion