Open AccessBell pepper production under saline stress and fertigation with different K+/Ca2+ ratios in a protected environment
Author(s) -
Ricardo Carlos Pereira da Silva,
Francisco de Assis de Oliveira,
Ademar Pereira de Oliveira,
José Francismar de Medeiros,
Rita de Cássia Alves,
Francisco Ítalo Gomes Paiva
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
acta scientiarum. agronomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.438
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1807-8621
pISSN - 1679-9275
DOI - 10.4025/actasciagron.v42i1.42498
Subject(s) - fertigation , pepper , salinity , horticulture , soil salinity , nutrient , saline water , greenhouse , agronomy , chemistry , biology , ecology , organic chemistry
Bell peppers are sensitive to salinity; therefore, it is necessary to find alternatives to reduce saline stress. An experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region, in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, to evaluate the effects of salinity and K+/Ca2+ ratios on bell pepper production. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks in a 5 x 4 factorial scheme with four replicates, corresponding to five K+/Ca2+ ratios (F1 = 3.3/1, F2 = 2.8/1, F3 = 2.2/1, F4 = 1.8/1, and F5 = 1.5/1) and four salinity levels in the nutrient solution using NaCl (1.75, 3.25, 4.75, and 6.25 dS m-1). The following parameters were evaluated: the number of fruits (total, marketable and unmarketable), the mean weight of fruits (marketable and unmarketable), fruit production (total, marketable and percentage of marketable fruits) and a salinity tolerance index. Generally, nutrient solution enrichment with K+ or Ca2+ did not cause significant increments in bell pepper yield. The fertigation treatments F2, F3, and F5 led to a higher bell pepper tolerance to salinity, allowing waters with higher salt concentrations to be used without causing a reduction in the yield.