Eucalyptus urocam plant tolerance to salinity in response to silicon-based fertilization

Abstract

The environmental barriers to the expansion of the planted area increase the need to develop cultivation technologies in unsuitable regions with low quality saline water. The objective of the present study was to identify the effects of silicon-based fertilization on Eucalyptus plant tolerance to salinity. A completely randomized block design was used in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with two Si levels, 0 and 1 g L-1, in four leaf applications at 157, 164, 171 and 178 days after emergence (DAE) at a volume of 30 ml/ plant/ application and irrigated with water at two levels of electrical conductivity equal, 0 and 2.5 dS m-1 from 150 to 181 DAE and six replications. The silicon-based fertilization minimized sodium absorption in Eucalyptus urocam plants irrigated with saline water but did not influence the entrance of chlorine in the plant. The vigorous vegetative growth, absence of nutritional deficiency and imbalance in potassium absorption indicated median tolerance of Eucalyptus urocam plants to salinity with 2.5dS m-1 water electrical conductivity.

Keywords

• electrical conductivity, forestry, silicon