Amaranth Response to Water Stress
Josilaine Gonçalves da Silva *
Department of Tropical Agriculture, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Aloisio Bianchini
Department of Agronomy and Zootechny, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Patrícia M. Crivelari Costa
Department of Tropical Agriculture, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Francisco de Almeida Lobo
Department of Agronomy and Zootechny, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Jean Pierre Moreira de Almeida
Department of Tropical Agriculture, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Milton Ferreira de Moraes
Institute of Exact and Earth Sciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Barra do Garças, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Amaranth is a species that has rapid growth, tolerates drought and produces grains of high food value. In this work the potential for dry season cropping in the Brazilian savannah of two amaranth species (Amaranthus caudatus e Amaranthus cruentus) was studied, subjecting them to three different periods of water availability at the beginning of the crop. Weekly data were collected on height, dry matter mass of shoot, panicle and roots, and at the end of the cultivation, yield, harvest index, thousand-grain weight, water-productivity. It was also determined the falling plant estimation. In the dry matter production evaluation, it was observed that the water deficit caused the reduction of the shoot, but significant increase of the root. The A. caudatus Inca did not show a significant productivity difference between the treatments, with a mean of 1,591.0 kg ha-1 and reached harvest point at 63 days. The A. cruentus BRS Alegria had better productivity in the treatment without water restriction, average of 2,008.6 kg ha-1 and reached harvest point at 86 days. Both species have potential for dry season cropping in the Brazilian savannah.
Keywords: Amaranthus caudatus INCA, Amaranthus cruentus BRS Alegria, dry season cropping, water deficit, Brazilian Savannah