Fluorescence and Growth of Eggplant under Irrigation Levels and Silicon Doses
Reynaldo Teodoro de Fatima *
Program of Postgraduate in Agronomy, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), Areia, Brazil.
Jackson Silva Nobrega
Program of Postgraduate in Agronomy, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), Areia, Brazil.
Daniel de Almeida Carreiro
Program of Postgraduate in Agronomy, Federal University of São Francisco Valley (UNIVASF), Petrolina, Brazil.
Amaralina Celoto Guerrero
Center of Science and Agri-Food Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG), Pombal, Brazil.
Adriana Silva Lima
Center of Science and Agri-Food Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG), Pombal, Brazil.
Francisco Romário Andrade Figueiredo
Program of Postgraduate in Phytotechnology, Federal University of the Semi - Arid (UFERSA), Mossoró, Brazil.
Jean Telvio Andrade Ferreira
Program of Postgraduate in Agronomy, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), Areia, Brazil.
Marcos Eric Barbosa Brito
Center for Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), Nossa Senhora da Glória, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: The study was conducted to evaluate the fluorescence and growth of eggplant under influence of water deficit and silicon doses.
Study Design: The design was a randomized complete block design, in a 5 x 2 factorial arrangement, with four replications and one plant per plot, totaling 40 experimental units.
Length and Place of Study: The research was implemented between September and November 2016, in a greenhouse of the Center of Science and Technology Agrifood, at the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG / CCTA), Campus of Pombal-PB, Brazil.
Methods: Doses of 0, 75, 150, 225 and 300 mg L-1 of silicon and the irrigation slides of 50 and 100% of real evapotranspiration - ETr were used, which were obtained by weighing the pots daily in order to keep the weight close to the field capacity.
Results: The use of 50% level of the ETr provides reductions of 5.58; 7.92 and 6.84% of fluorescence in the initial, maximum and quantum yield of the photosystem. The fresh and dry mass of the stem presented the maximum productivity (140.8 and 48.1 g) in the plants irrigated with 100% Etr and treated with doses of 106 and 110 mg L-1 of Si.
Conclusion: The fluorescence and biomass of the eggplant plants is reduced with the decrease in irrigation level; while the application of silicon does not result in increment in the fluorescence and dry mass of the leaf. The 100% irrigation level of the ETr associated with the application of 108 mg L-1 of silicon resulted in the best results in stem mass accumulation.
Keywords: Solanum melongena, silicic fertilization, water deficit, abiotic stress