Aplicação de doses de polímero hidratassolo sobre a capacidade de retenção de água de solos e desenvolvimento da beterraba, em condições salinas

Abstract

Super-absorbent polymers have been used with the purpose of providing a better utilization of water, specially in areas with limited yield potential, such as arid and semi-arid regions. Further, they play a role in the decrease of the osmotic potential in saline soils arising from the increase of the water availability. An experiment was carried out in pots, placed out in a greenhouse, in order to evaluate the effects of increasing dosages of the hidratassolo polymer upon the development of beet (Beta vulgaris, L.) Early Wonder cultivar, grown on a saline soil. The experimental design used was a completely casualized, with the following treatments: control (no polymer); 0,05; 0,10, 0,15 e 0,20 dag/kg of hidratassolo, based on the dry weight of polymer and soil. The addition of chemical amendments based up on calcium reduced the SAR value from 157,4 to 10,0; the application of leaching depths of 2,5 times the the pore volume, reduced the electrical conductivity of the saturation extract from 23,5 dS/m to 8,01 dS/m. The vegetative characteristics of the crop such as, the number of leaves per plant, length and width of leaves, besides the wet anddry weight of the leaves, did not increase with increaing dosages of hidratassolo, at the 5% probability level. In respect to the weights (wet and dry) of the roots, there was differences only between the highest dosage and the control. In relation to the tuber dimentions, the height was not influenced by the polymer dosages, whereas for the diameter, the treatment with the highest hidratassolo concentration, was higherthan the 0,05% dosage and control (p > 5%).