CRESCIMENTO INICIAL DO PINHÃO-MANSO (Jatropha curcas L.) EM FUNÇÃO DA SALINIDADE DA ÁGUA DE IRRIGAÇÃO

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of Jatropha curcas L. when submitted to crescent levels of salinity of irrigation water on the initial growth stage. For this, was collected, from native plants, seeds of two cities, Nova Porteirinha, MG and Tianguá, CE. The experiment was developed in the Campus of Universidade Federal Rural do Semiárido (UFERSA), Mossoró, RN, in the period of March to May of 2010. The treatments were installed in completely randomized design, in factorial 2 x 6 (seeds from two cities) and six levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (0.5; 1.5; 2.5; 3.5; 4.5 e 5.5 dS m-1), with four repetitions, being each plot composed by one plant cultivated in a plastic vase, with capacity for eight pounds. Thirty days after sowing, was evaluated plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, foliar area and weight of dry matter of aerial part of plant. The analysis of results allowed to conclude that there are differences between seeds of Jatropha curcas L. in relation to the tolerance to the salinity; and that proceeding from Tianguá, CE, showed more tolerant to salinity, in reason of larger values of foliar area and plant height.