Aspectos produtivos e biomassa do feijão caupi (Vigna unguiculata) sob doses de biofertilizante bovino em cultivo agroecológico

O feijão-caupi adquire cada vez mais expressão econômica, correspondendo a cerca de 60% da produção nordestina de feijão. Analisou-se os efeitos de um biofertilizante bovino líquido, sobre a biomassa e os atributos produtivos do feijão caupi, sob cultivo agroecológico. O DIC ocorreu com cinco tratamentos e seis repetições, totalizando 30 unidades experimentais. Os quatro tratamentos com o biofertilizante foram 50% da recomendação ótima, 75, 100 e 125%, e a testemunha. Analisou-se: número de vagens por planta; número de grãos por vagem; peso de 100 sementes; e produção de matéria verde e seca da parte aérea e do sistema radicular. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância e posteriormente foram realizadas regressões. As plantas de feijão caupi que receberam o biofertilizante demonstraram melhor desempenho, quando comparadas à testemunha. Nas variáveis NV e NGPV, quanto maior a concentração, melhores foram os quantitativos.

Morphophysiological characteristics of okra plants submitted to saline stress in soil with organic fertilizer

The excess of salts may compromise the growth and physiological functions of plants, but the use of bovine organic fertilizer can mitigate these effects. It was intended was to evaluate the saline stress in soil with and without bovine organic fertilizer on the initial growth, the accumulation of biomass and the gas exchanges of the okra culture. The test was conducted at the UNILAB’s experimental farm, in Piroás, in Redenção – CE city. The treatments were distributed in a completely randomized design with five replications, in a 5 x 2 factorial concerning five irrigation water salinity levels (1.0; 2.0; 3.0; 4.0 and 5.0 dS m-1), in the presence and absence of bovine organic fertilizer. Plant height, stem diameter, root length, a dry mass of shoot, photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal conductance were evaluated. The bovine organic fertilizer promoted better means in initial growth and biomass in okra plants compared to the control treatment, thus showing efficiency in the attenuation of the salts present in irrigation water. The increase in the saline concentration of the irrigation water reduced the gas exchange (photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration) in okra plants. Nonetheless, in smaller proportions in the soil with the bovine organic fertilizer.The excess of salts may compromise the growth and physiological functions of plants, but the use of bovine organic fertilizer can mitigate these effects. It was intended was to evaluate the saline stress in soil with and without bovine organic fertilizer on the initial growth, the accumulation of biomass and the gas exchanges of the okra culture. The test was conducted at the UNILAB’s experimental farm, in Piroás, in Redenção – CE city. The treatments were distributed in a completely randomized design with five replications, in a 5 x 2 factorial concerning five irrigation water salinity levels (1.0; 2.0; 3.0; 4.0 and 5.0 dS m-1), in the presence and absence of bovine organic fertilizer. Plant height, stem diameter, root length, a dry mass of shoot, photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal conductance were evaluated. The bovine organic fertilizer promoted better means in initial growth and biomass in okra plants compared to the control treatment, thus showing efficiency in the attenuation of the salts present in irrigation water. The increase in the saline concentration of the irrigation water reduced the gas exchange (photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration) in okra plants. Nonetheless, in smaller proportions in the soil with the bovine organic fertilizer

Organic and mineral fertilization on productivity and postharvest of okra

Mineral fertilization promotes good results for the components of production and quality of okra fruit; however, it raises the cost of production, making it, sometimes, unviable to the small producers. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate organic and mineral fertilization in different forms, in the components of production, productivity, and quality of okra fruits. The experiment was carried out, under full sunlight, in a completely randomized design (CRD), with six replications. The treatments corresponded to the different forms of fertilization, being: MF = mineral fertilization with NPK (100% of the recommended dose); BF = fertilization with bovine biofertilizer (100% of the NPK contents); VA = fertilization with vegetable ash (100% of NPK contents); MFBF = mineral fertilizer (50%) + bovine biofertilizer (50%); MFVA = mineral fertilizer (50%) + vegetable ash (50%); C = control (without fertilization). The variables analyzed were as follows: number of fruits per plant (NFP), average fruit mass (AFM), fruit length (FL), fruit diameter (FD), fruit skin thickness (FST), and yield (Y). Therefore, the use of bovine biofertilizer in isolation or supplemented with mineral fertilization enhances the production of okra and improves the quality of the fruits, reveling as promising alternatives for growing okra

Crescimento e estado nutricional do quiabeiro (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) submetido a adubação com biofertilizantes

Objetivou-se avaliar o crescimento inicial e os teores foliares de macronutrientes em plantas de quiabo (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) em função de diferentes doses e tipos de biofertilizantes. O experimento foi conduzido na fazenda experimental Piroás da Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira (Unilab), no município de Redenção (CE). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 5 x 2, referente a cinco doses de biofertilizante (0,0; 0,5; 1,0; 1,5 e 2,0 L planta-1 semana-1) e a dois tipos de biofertilizante (bovino e caprino). Foram analisadas as variáveis: altura de planta (AP), área foliar (AF), número de folhas (NF), diâmetro do caule (DC) e teores foliares de nitrogênio (N), fósforo (P), potássio (K), cálcio (Ca) e magnésio (Mg). O incremento das doses de biofertilizante contribuiu de forma positiva nas variáveis AP, AF, NF e DC. O insumo bovino foi mais eficiente quando comparado ao caprino para as variáveis AF e NF. O teor de N nas folhas foi elevado com o incremento das doses de biofertilizante. O fertilizante caprino promoveu um maior conteúdo de K nas folhas quando comparado ao bovino. Com a elevação das doses dos biofertilizantes bovino e caprino, os teores foliares de P, Mg e Ca foram reduzidos

Supplemental Irrigation with Brackish Water Improves Carbon Assimilation and Water Use Efficiency in Maize under Tropical Dryland Conditions

Dry spells in rainfed agriculture lead to a significant reduction in crop yield or to total loss. Supplemental irrigation (SI) with brackish water can reduce the negative impacts of dry spells on net CO2 assimilation in rainfed farming in semi-arid tropical regions and maintain crop productivity. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the net carbon assimilation rates, indexes for water use efficiency, and indicators of salt and water stress in maize plants under different water scenarios, with and without supplemental irrigation with brackish water. The experiment followed a randomized block design in a split-plot design with four replications. The main plots simulated four water scenarios found in the Brazilian semi-arid region (Rainy, Normal, Drought, and Severe Drought), while the subplots were with or without supplemental irrigation using brackish water with an electrical conductivity of 4.5 dS m−1. The dry spells reduced the photosynthetic capacity of maize, especially under the Drought (70% reduction) and Severe Drought scenarios (79% reduction), due to stomatal and nonstomatal effects. Supplemental irrigation with brackish water reduced plant water stress, averted the excessive accumulation of salts in the soil and sodium in the leaves, and improved CO2 assimilation rates. The supplemental irrigation with brackish water also promoted an increase in the physical water productivity, reaching values 1.34, 1.91, and 3.03 times higher than treatment without SI for Normal, Drought, and Severe Drought scenarios, respectively. Thus, the use of brackish water represents an important strategy that can be employed in biosaline agriculture for tropical semi-arid regions, which are increasingly impacted by water shortage. Future studies are required to evaluate this strategy in other important crop systems under nonsimulated conditions, as well as the long-term effects of salts on different soil types in this region

Fiber Quality, Yield, and Profitability of Cotton in Response to Supplemental Irrigation with Treated Wastewater and NPK Fertilization

Cotton yield under the rainfed farming system in tropical semi-arid regions is significantly decreased by prolonged dry spells. In this context, supplemental irrigation (SI) with treated wastewater emerges as a strategy for the sustainability of agricultural production besides contributing to the reduction of fertilizer costs. The objective of this research was to evaluate the productivity, photosynthetic parameters, fiber quality, and profitability of cotton cultivation, under supplemental irrigation (SI) with municipal treated wastewater (MTW), with and without mineral fertilization. The treatments consisted of three water scenarios (normal, drought, and severe drought), defined by the historical series of precipitation data of 30 years, and two treatments of supplemental irrigation with MTW, with or without NPK fertilization. SI with treated wastewater increased cotton yield in all three scenarios (normal, drought, and severe drought) by approximately 29%, 255%, and 251%. Longer dry spells in drought and severe drought scenarios increased the volume of SI with MTW, resulting in greater nutrient input to the soil, improved photosynthetic response, higher physical water productivity, reduction in fertilizer costs, and higher farmers’ income. Therefore, our results show the importance of using treated wastewater in supplemental irrigation of cotton under scenarios of water scarcity in tropical semi-arid regions

Deficit Irrigation of Forage Cactus (<i>Opuntia stricta</i>) with Brackish Water: Impacts on Growth, Productivity, and Economic Viability under Evapotranspiration-Based Management

Climate change significantly impacts agriculture and forage production, requiring the implementation of strategies toward increased water and energy use efficiency. So, this study investigated the yield of forage cactus (Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw) under different irrigation depths using brackish groundwater (1.7 dS m−1), whose management was based on reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimated by the Hargreave–Samani (HS) and Penman–Monteith (PM) equations. The research was conducted in Independência, Ceará, Brazil, under the tropical semi-arid climate. A randomized block design in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme was employed, varying the ET0 estimation equations (HS and PM) and irrigation levels (0; 20; 40; 70; and 100% of total required irrigation—TRI). Growth, productivity, and water use efficiency variables were evaluated at 6, 12, and 18 months after treatment initiation. The economic analysis focused on added value, farmer income, and social reproduction level. The results showed no isolated effect of the equations or their interaction with irrigation depths on the analyzed variables, suggesting that irrigation management can be effectively performed using the simpler HS equation. Furthermore, there was no statistical difference between the means of 100% and 70% TRI as well as between 70% and 40% TRI for most variables. This indicates satisfactory crop yield under deficit irrigation. Dry matter productivity and farmer income at 12 months resulting from complementary irrigation with depths between 40% and 70% of TRI were significantly higher than under rainfed conditions. The 70% depth resulted in yields equivalent to those at 100% TRI, with the social reproduction level being achieved on 0.65 hectares in the second year