Tolerance to irrigation water salinity in Physalis peruviana L. plants

Abstract

ABSTRACT Abiotic factors, such as saline stress, can happen in agricultural areas and can harm the metabolism of the plants. Studies that seek to evaluate the acting of P. peruviana L. under stress conditions are still incipient. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the tolerance to salinity in plants of P. peruviana L. under different saline levels of irrigation water. The work was developed in the experimental farm of the Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campus Pombal, PB, from January to March 2017. Four saline concentrations of irrigation water were used (0.3; 1.2; 2.1; and 3.0 dS m-1) with five repetitions. At 60 days after the transplant, were evaluated the leaf area, intercellular CO2 concentration, stomatal conductance, transpiration, photosynthetic rate, intrinsic water use efficiency, instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, electrolyte extravasation, chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids. The results show that saline levels of irrigation water up to 3.0 dS m-1 did not provide physiological damages in plants of P. peruviana L. until 60 DAT, except for extravasation of electrolytes and chlorophyll a and b, characterizing the plant as tolerant to salinity until the studied level.

Keywords

• physalis
• salinity
• gas exchange
• water use efficiency