Cultivation of West Indian cherry irrigated with saline water under phosphorus and nitrogen proportions

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of water salinity and phosphorus:nitrogen ratios on growth, leaf macronutrients and sodium and the West Indian cherry production. The research was carried out in a protected environment, in lysimeters filled with a Regolithic Neosol of loamy clay texture and low initial phosphorus content. The experiment was carried out in a protected environment, in a randomized complete block design with treatments arranged in a 5 × 4 factorial scheme, with differing electrical conductivity levels of the irrigation water ECw (0.6, 1.4, 2.2, 3.0 and 3.8 dS m-1) and four proportions of phosphorus and nitrogen P/N (100:100, 140:100, 100:140 and 140:140% of P/N), with three replicates and one plant per replicate. Phosphorus and nitrogen doses corresponding to 100% of the recommendation for phosphate and nitrogen fertilization were 45.0 g of P2 O5 per plant year and 23.85 g of N per plant year, respectively. The West Indian cherry plants were maintained under irrigation with saline water for 365 days, where they were evaluated the growth characteristics, foliar mineral composition, and production. The increase of the salinity of irrigation water increases the levels of sodium in the tissues to levels detrimental to growth, foliar mineral composition and the production of the West Indian cherry. Fertilization with 140% of the phosphorus and nitrogen recommendation inhibits the action of saline stress, promoting greater production of West Indian cherry irrigated water plants with water up to 3.0 dS m-1.