Tolerance of Varieties and Hybrid of Pumpkin and Squash to Salt Stress

Adriana Da S Santos,Evandro F De Mesquita,Geovani S De Lima,Francisco V Da S Sá,Maria K Do N Silva,Lauter S Souto,Luderlândio De A Silva,Romulo C L Moreira

doi:10.5539/jas.v10n1p38

Adriana Da S Santos, Evandro F De Mesquita + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v10n1p38

Copy DOI

Abstract

Irrigated agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions is a practice encouraged to maximize food production, however these regions hesitate a qualitative shortage of water resources, often being necessary the use of saline water, affecting soil and sensitive plants to saline stress. So this study aimed to evaluate emergence, growth, phytomass accumulation and tolerance of the Tetsukabuto hybrid and varieties of pumpkin and squash under salt stress. The experiment was carried out in protected environment (greenhouse), located in the municipality of Pombal, Paraíba, Brazil. Treatments were arranged in completely randomized experimental design with four replicates, in a 5 × 3 factorial scheme, relative to five levels of irrigation water salinity and three genotypes of pumpkin and squash. Pumpkin and squash seedlings were grown on trays of 30 cells with capacity for 0.1 dm3 of substrate, during the first 20 days after sowing, and were monitored for emergence, initial growth, dry matter accumulation and tolerance to salinity. Increment in irrigation water salinity reduces emergence and initial growth of the pumpkin and squash genotypes. The genotypes G2 - ‘Squash cv. Coroa’ and G3 - Tetsukabuto hybrid are more tolerant to salinity than G1 - ‘Pumpkin cv. Jacarezinho’ in the initial growth stage.

Highlights

The botanical family Cucurbitaceae has various representatives, including pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita pepo) and squash (Cucurbita maxima), species of great economic and food value, since the Cucurbitaceae stands out as the second family with highest economic expression in the world (Resende et al, 2013; FAO, 2014)
Due to the low rainfall in this region, which leads to scarcity of water resources, irrigation is considered as the technique that most contributes to the increase of yield
The increase in irrigation water salinity reduces the initial development of these crops, varying according the studied cultivar

Summary

Introduction

The botanical family Cucurbitaceae has various representatives, including pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita pepo) and squash (Cucurbita maxima), species of great economic and food value, since the Cucurbitaceae stands out as the second family with highest economic expression in the world (Resende et al, 2013; FAO, 2014). Due to the low rainfall in this region, which leads to scarcity of water resources, irrigation is considered as the technique that most contributes to the increase of yield. Due to such scarcity, lower-quality waters have been used and they can salinize the soil and reduce the yield of crops (Oliveira et al, 2014). The ability of a plant to withstand certain levels of salts, which varies according to species, growth stage, irrigation and crop managements and stress nature and intensity, defines the meaning of crop tolerance to salinity (Sá et al, 2013; Brito et al, 2014; Oliveira et al, 2015; Albuquerque et al, 2016)

Objectives

Methods

Results