Application of Silicon to Alleviate Irrigation Water Salinity in Melon Growth
Fernando Antônio Lima Gomes
Postgraduate Program in Tropical Horticulture, Center of Science and Agri-Food Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Pombal, Brazil
Railene Hérica Carlos Rocha Araújo
Postgraduate Program in Tropical Horticulture, Center of Science and Agri-Food Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Pombal, Brazil
Jackson Silva Nóbrega
Postgraduate Program in Agronomy, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, Brazil
Reynaldo Teodoro de Fátima *
Postgraduate Program in Agronomy, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, Brazil
Márcio Santos da Silva
Postgraduate Program in Tropical Horticulture, Center of Science and Agri-Food Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Pombal, Brazil
Adriana Silva Santos
Postgraduate Program in Tropical Horticulture, Center of Science and Agri-Food Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Pombal, Brazil
Albert Einstein Mathias de Medeiros Teodósio
Postgraduate Program in Tropical Horticulture, Center of Science and Agri-Food Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, Pombal, Brazil
Carlos Jardel Andrade Oliveira
Postgraduate Program in Agronomy, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, Brazil
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: The present study aimed to assess the alleviating effect of silicon in salinity on melon growth.
Study Design: The experimental design was in randomised blocks, corresponding to the with four salt levels and three doses of silicon.
Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted in a protected environment at Center of Sciences and Agri-Food Technology of the Federal University of Campina Grande, Campus of Pombal, Paraiba, Brazil, between october and December 2017.
Methodology: The experiment was randomised blocks, in a 4x3 factorial scheme, with four salt levels (0.3, 1.3, 2.3 and 3.3 dS m-1) and three doses of silicon (Sí1) = 0; (Sí2) = 3.2; (Sí3) = 6.4 g.L-1 per plant, applied via soil with four repetitions of 12 plants. As vegetable material the 'Hales Best Jumbo' melon hybrid of the Cantaloupensis group was used.
Results: Salinity severely affected the leaf area, shoot dry weight and total weight and the Dickson quality index. On the other hand, silicon had a significant effect on leaf number, plant height, stem diameter, root length, number of flowers, and number of flower buds, root dry weight and extravasation of electrolytes.
Conclusion: The application of silicon alleviated the salinity effect favoring melon growth, especially when the dose of 3.2 g. L-1 was applied.
Keywords: Cucumis melo L., salinity stress, alleviation