-The objective of this work was to evaluate the vegetative development and determine the concentration of sodium, potassium, and calcium in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) grown on two organic substrates and under increasing saline concentrations. The substrates were soil + earthworm humus (S 1 ) and soil + bovine manure (S 2 ), and the saline treatments consisted of irrigation water with different electrical conductivities: 1.36 (control), 3.56, 5.76, and 7.96 dS m -1 . The experimental design used was a randomized complete block in a 2×4 (substrate × conductivity) factorial arrangement with five replicates. Main branch length, root length, stem diameter, leaf number, leaf area, and fresh matter mass of shoots and roots, as well as the sodium, potassium, and calcium contents in the plants, were determined. All phenological parameters interacted with the substrates, and S 1 improved plant performance. Substrates interacted significantly with: leaf area; leaf number; stem diameter; main branch length; root length; fresh matter mass of shoots and roots; and the contents of sodium, potassium, and calcium, in both shoots and roots of watermelon irrigated with saline water for up to 27 days after emergence. There are also interactions between substrates and salinity for stem diameter, main branch length, fresh matter mass of roots, and calcium contents in both shoots and roots, and potassium and sodium contents in the roots.Index terms: Citrullus lanatus, bovine manure, humus of earthworm, salt stress.Desenvolvimento vegetativo e conteúdo de cálcio, potássio e sódio em melancieira sob estresse salino, em substratos orgânicos . Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 2×4 (substratos × condutividade), com cinco repetições. Foram determinados comprimento do ramo principal e da raiz, diâmetro do caule, número de folhas, área foliar e massa fresca da parte aérea e da raiz, bem como o conteúdo de sódio, potássio e cálcio nas plantas. Todos os parâmetros fenológicos apresentaram interação com os substratos, e S 1 promoveu melhor desempenho das plantas. Os substratos interagiram significativamente com: área foliar; número de folhas; diâmetro do caule; comprimento do ramo principal; comprimento de raiz; massa de matéria fresca da parte aérea e da raiz; e teores de sódio, potássio e cálcio na parte aérea e nas raízes de melancieiras irrigadas com água salina, até 27 dias após a emergência. Os substratos também interagiram com a salinidade para diâmetro do caule, comprimento do ramo principal, massa de matéria fresca de raiz, e teores de cálcio na parte aérea e raiz, e de potássio e sódio na raiz.Termos para indexação: Citrullus lanatus, esterco bovino, húmus de minhoca, salinidade.

RESUMO

This study aims to evaluate the production of biomass of different cattle manure, and biofertilizer concentrations. The experiment was conducted between April and June 2014 in a greenhouse at the seedling production nursery of the State University of Paraíba (UEPB), Catolé do Rocha, Paraíba (PB) state. The experiment was completely randomized in a 5 x 2 factorial design corresponding to five levels of cattle manure (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80% of the substrate volume) in the absence, and the presence of a biofertilizer. The propagation material was giant yellow passion fruits with 95 to 100% of purity purchased in the local market. After 60 days, the following variables were evaluated: root dry matter (RDM), plant dry matter (PDM), root biomass (RB), shoot biomass (SB), plant biomass (PB), biomass percentage (BP), effective leaf area (ELA) and leaf area ratio (LAR). The interaction between cattle manure and fertilizer concentrations was significant for root dry matter, mass of total plant dry matter, root biomass, shoot biomass and total plant biomass. In turn, cattle manure affected significantly biomass percentage, effective leaf area and leaf area ratio. Cattle manure and biofertilizer make the production of yellow passion fruit seedlings feasible.

Objetivou-se com presente trabalho, avaliar o metabolismo bioquímico de plântulas de mamoeiro submetidas a diferentes níveis de salinidade, e cultivados e três tipos de substratos, a fim de determinar qual substrato promoveu um melhor ajustamento osmótico ao estres salino. Para produção das mudas da cultivar Havaí foram utilizados tubetes com capacidade 300 cm3. Empregou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado, no esquema fatorial 3x4. Os tratamentos foram compostos por três tipos de substratos: S1= vermiculita+húmus de minhoca (1/1); S2= vermiculita+húmus+esterco caprino (1/1/1); S3= vermiculita+esterco (1/1) e quatro níveis de condutividade elétrica na água de irrigação: C1= 0,0; C2= 2,5; C3= 5,0 e C4= 7,5 dS m-1 com cinco repetições. A solução salina para a irrigação foi obtida com a adição NaCl e monitorada com auxílio de um condutivimetro. Após a emergência das plântulas iniciou-se os tratamentos salinos até o 15º dia após a emergência. Analisou-se o conteúdo de açúcares solúveis totais, aminoácidos livres totais e teor de prolina em parte aérea e raiz. Com base na análise dos dados, observou-se que plântulas de mamoeiro cultivadas em substrato S1 incrementaram os teores de açúcares solúveis totais e aminoácidos solúveis totais em raiz e parte aérea, proporcional ao aumento dos níveis de salinidade. Concluindo, portanto, que o substrato vermiculita+húmus de minhoca (1/1) promoveu um possível ajustamento osmótico às plântulas em condições de estresse salino, através do aumento de compostos nitrogenados.

No abstract

The Sunflower plant is an oilseed of great importance on the world stage. However, their productivity may be compromised by lack of rain and availability of nutrients. Thus this study aimed to evaluate the growth of sunflower plants under different hydric regimes in two soils with the application of cattle biofertilizer. The experiment was performed in a greenhouse State University of Paraíba campus IV in Catolé do Rocha, Paraíba, Brazil. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design using a 2 × 2 × 5 factorial for two levels of water availability (100 and 50% WA), two soils Entisol and Alfisol and five rates of cattle biofertilizer (0.0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% of the substrate volume), totaling 20 treatments with nine replications and 180 experimental plots. At 90 days after sowing the plants were evaluated for growth and biomass accumulation. The reduction from 100 to 50% WA negatively affected the vegetative behavior of the plants in both soils. The increased growth and biomass accumulation occurred with the application of biofertilizer rates of 3.5 and 10% (v/v) in Entisol and Alfisol, and respectively.

Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) is an oleaginous of high economic value because its oil has numerous applications in the industry, such as in the manufacture of enamels and paints. Presently, its production is aimed at being used as a biodiesel. The main obstacle to a high production is the survival of the young plants in field in a no-tillage system. An alternative would be the production of seedlings. The objective of this research was to evaluate the initial growth of BRS Gabriela (R. communis L.) castor bean seedlings in function of different substrates and container volumes. The work was conducted at the nursery of the State University of Paraíba (UEPB), Catolé do Rocha, PB, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized (CRB) in a 4 × 2 factorial design with 6 replications. The factors consisted of 4 container volumes: 1, 0.5, 0.3, and 0.27 dm -3 and 2 substrates (S 1 = 50% soil and 50% earthworm humus, and S 2 = 40% soil, 30% earthworm humus and 30% sand). The analyzed variables were stem dry matter (SDM), root dry matter (RDM), plant leaf area (PLA), leaf biomass (LPM), stem biomass (SPM), water content (WC), plant height and stem diameter ratio (PHe/SD), root dry matter and dry shoot dry matter ratio (RDM/SDM), Dickson quality index (DQI) and succulence. The morphological characteristics were influenced by container volume and substrate. The largest container volume, together with the substrate S1 (50% soil and 50% earthworm humus), provided viable seedlings ready to be transplanted to the field.