Efeito da salinidade da água de irrigação e de frações de lixiviação no cultivo do milho (Zea mays L.).

Abstract

In regions of arid and semi-arid climate, is often the water used for irrigation to contain excess soluble salts, and the use of water without an adequate management (leaching fraction), can lead to salinization of soils, reducing the growth and development of crops. Corn is one of the most economically important crops and most researched due to the nutritional value. However, in many areas of the world, their productivity is limited due to various biotic and abiotic stresses, such as irrigation water and soil salinization. For this reasons, the objective of the work was to evaluate the use of saline water and leaching fractions in the maize crop production. The experiment was carried out at headquarter campus of University Federal Rural of Pernambuco State, Brazil (UFRPE-Recife), under a completely randomized experimental design in factorial arranjement (2x5), with five leaching fractions (FL 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20%) and two levels of water saline (electric conductivity-EC 1.2 and 3.3 dS m-1). The biometric variables and production affected by the treatments were: ear weight without straw, pulp yield hydrated, height of insertion of ear, fresh and dry weight of shoots. It was observed a reduction in enzyme activity due to leaching fractions, indicating that there was a reduction of salt stress and consequently poor performance of antioxidants.Nutritionally there was a reduction of phosphorus and potassium in plants with the increase in leaching fractions.