Mineral nutrition and hydroponic kale production under saline stress and calcium nitrate

Abstract

An adequate use of brackish water in agricultural production is one of the main challenges for researchers and rural producers, since saline stress may cause physiological and nutritional changes in plants, affecting the crop yield. An appropriate mineral nutrition is essential for plants, grown under saline stress, to express their productive potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mineral nutrition and hydroponic kale production under saline stress and calcium nitrate. The experiment was carried out using one hydroponic system in substrate, following a randomized block design, with five treatments and four replicates. The treatments consisted of five nutrient solutions, with a control treatment {S1 = standard nutrient solution using low salinity water, 0.5 dS/m [750 mg/L of Ca(NO3)2]}, and four nutrient solutions prepared using brackish water (6.0 dS/m) containing four concentrations of Ca(NO3)2 (S2 = 750 mg/L, S3 = 1,125 mg/L, S4 = 1,500 mg/L, S5 = 1,875 mg/L). We determined the levels of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S in leaf tissue at three evaluation times (50, 64 and 78 DAT). Mineral levels in the leaves, stem and root were also evaluated at the end of the experiment (100 DAT). In addition, leaf production and the agronomic efficiency of Ca(NO3)2 were verified. The highest leaf production (1780 g/plant) and agronomic efficiency [2.37 g fresh matter/mg of Ca(NO3)2] were obtained in the standard nutrient solution, and both were reduced at 55.6% by salinity. The extra addition of 50% Ca(NO3)2 in the saline nutrient solution reduced the effect of salinity on Mg absorption and the effect of NaCl addition on kale production.