Cultivo de plantas de rúcula sob níveis de salinidade da água de irrigação

Abstract

The use of saline water in the production of vegetables is one of the main challenges for producers, since saline stress causes a decrease in crop production and yield. Given the above, the objective was to evaluate the growth of arugula plants under salinity levels of irrigation water. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in the experimental area of the Agricultural Sciences Center of the Federal University of Alagoas, in Rio Largo, AL. The treatments were obtained from five levels of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water (0.5; 1.5; 2.5; 3.5 and 4.5 dS m-1). The experimental design used was completely randomized (DIC). The factors resulted in 5 treatments with five replications and one plant per plot, totaling 25 experimental units. At 43 days after sowing, the arugula plants were evaluated for number of leaves, plant height, leaf area, fresh weight of the aerial part and roots, and dry mass of the aerial part and roots. Increasing salinity levels of irrigation water have been found to affect the growth of arugula plants. Plants had the highest averages of the evaluated characters reached at the salinity level of 0.5 dS m-1, decreasing linearly when irrigated with salinity of up to 4.5 dS m-1.