Antônio Gustavo de Luna Souto

Esterco bovino e potássio na composição mineral de plantas de noni

Noni fruit has been used since antiquity for treatment of many diseases such as allergy, arthritis, asthma, cancer, depression, diabetes, digestion, hypertension, and insomnia and is used as food supplement. Although these properties and its intercontinental adaptability, information about nutrient exigency and crop management is still little frequent in international and national literature. In this direction an experiment was carried out, during the period of July/2009 to July/2010, in Sao Luis, Maranhao state, Brazil, in order to evaluate effects of manure and potassium fertilization of the soil on mineral composition in leaves dry matter of noni plants. The treatments were arranged in randomized blocks 2 x 4 referring to absence and presence potassium fertilization (130 kg ha-1 K2O) in soil with bovine manure levels (0, 1.7, 6.6 e 11.6 kg plant-1) applied in the area of plant projection . From the results, except in calcium and magnesium, the interaction bovine manure x K2O proportioned increment on the content of other macro and micronutrients in dry matter leaf of noni plants. The establishment of levels interpreting nutrient content suitable for noni is needed to assist the discussions of future studies of fertilization and crop nutrition.

Biometria em plantas de noni sob irrigação com águas salinas e lixiviação dos sais do solo

A utilizacao de agua com teor salino elevado esta se tornando uma alternativa a producao agricola mundial, mas, para isso, ha necessidade de tecnologias que reduzam os impactos no solo e no rendimento das culturas, como o emprego de lixiviacao dos sais do solo ou o uso de especies tolerantes a salinidade. Nessa direcao, o objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o crescimento de plantas de noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) submetidas a irrigacao e lavagem do solo com aguas de salinidade crescente. O experimento foi desenvolvido em ambiente telado do Centro de Ciencia Agrarias, Universidade Federal da Paraiba em Areia, PB, em blocos casualizados, com quatros repeticoes e duas plantas por parcela, usando o arranjo fatorial 5×2, referente a cinco valores de condutividade eletrica das aguas de irrigacao (0,5; 1,5; 3,0; 4,5; 6,0 dS m-1), combinados com presenca e ausencia de drenagem para a lavagem do solo e lixiviacao dos sais. O aumento da condutividade eletrica das aguas de irrigacao elevou o carater salino do solo para valores que comprometeram o crescimento biometrico e a producao de biomassa total das plantas de noni, independentemente da ausencia ou presenca de lixiviacao dos sais, mas, com maior severidade, em todas as variaveis, no solo sem drenagem. As plantas do solo sem lixiviacao dos sais nao sobreviveram a irrigacao com agua de salinidade estimada de 5,28 dS m-1, nao cresceram adequadamente em altura, diâmetro caulinar, emissao de folhas e area foliar e produziram baixos niveis de biomassa sob irrigacao com agua de condutividade eletrica 4,5 dS m-1.

REBROTA E CRESCIMENTO DO NIM APÓS O CORTE EM SOLO SALINO - SÓDICO TRATADO COM INSUMOS ORGÂNICOS

Soil salinity and sodicity are global problems since both promote the physical, chemical and biological degradation of soil, jeopardising the productive capacity of agricultural fields. Inorganic correctives or organic inputs are applied as an attempt to reduce the problem, alongside the use of salt-tolerant plants. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of organic inputs on the growth of neem (Azadirachta indica) strains in saline-sodic soil after cutting. Treatments were arranged in a randomised block design, with four replicates in a 3 × 5 factorial. Organic inputs — bovine manure, common bovine biofertilizer (equal parts of water and fresh bovine manure) and chemically enriched biofertilizer (common biofertilizer components combined with plaster, sugarcane molasses and cow’s milk) — were applied only once, after soil washing, two days prior to seeding, at the levels of 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12% of the substrate volume. Except effects on the stem diameter, the most efficient input was bovine manure, with strong effects on the height increase and biomass yield of neem plants after cutting, especially in treatments at a level greater than 6%. The organic inputs, despite increasing the soil salinity and sodicity in the interval between washing and cutting, stimulated biometric growth and biomass formation in saline-sodic soil.

Luminosity and sowing depth in the emergence and development of passion fruit seedlings

The propagation of passion fruit in commercial orchards is carried out by seeds. However, passion fruit seed germination occurs irregularly. The goal of this study was to evaluate the emergence and development of passion fruit seedlings under different luminosities and sowing depths. The experimental design was completely randomized with six replications of 25 seeds, with a 3 x 5 factor scheme, in which three light conditions (absence of light, presence of 12 h light and 12 h dark and the presence of light for 24 h) were combined with five sowing depths (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 cm). The emergence test was conducted in a BOD-type germination chamber, with alternating temperatures of 20-30 °C, at intervals of 12 h and the established luminosities. The evaluated characteristics were the emergence percentage for weekly counts, the emergence speed index for 28 days; the total shoot and root length on evaluation day 28 and the individual dry weight. The lack of luminosity accelerates the emergence of passion fruit seedlings, but it produces low quality seedlings. However, the alternation of luminosity associated to a lower sowing depth helps both the emergence and the quality of seedlings produced from passion fruit 14 days after sowing.

Cattle manure and potassium in the mineral composition of noni plants

Noni fruit has been used since antiquity for treatment of many diseases such as allergy, arthritis, asthma, cancer, depression, diabetes, digestion, hypertension, and insomnia and is used as food supplement. Although these properties and its intercontinental adaptability, information about nutrient exigency and crop management is still little frequent in international and national literature. In this direction an experiment was carried out, during the period of July/2009 to July/2010, in Sao Luis, Maranhao state, Brazil, in order to evaluate effects of manure and potassium fertilization of the soil on mineral composition in leaves dry matter of noni plants. The treatments were arranged in randomized blocks 2 x 4 referring to absence and presence potassium fertilization (130 kg ha-1 K2O) in soil with bovine manure levels (0, 1.7, 6.6 e 11.6 kg plant -1) 1 Engenheiro Agronomo, Dr., Professor da Unidade de Estudos de Agronomia, Universidade Estadual do Maranhao, Cidade Universitaria Paulo VI, Bairro Sao Cristovao, Caixa-postal 09, CEP 65000-000, Sao Luis (MA), Brasil. jjj_mendes@hotmail.com 2 Engenheiro Agronomo, Dr., Professor do Programade PosGraduacao em Agronomia, Centro de Ciencias Agrarias, Univiersidade Federal da Paraiba, Campus II, Cidade Univiersitaria, Rodovia BR 079, Km 12, CEP 58397-000, Areia (PB), Brasil. lofeca@cca.ufpb.br 3 Engenheiro Agronomo, Professor do Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia do Ceara, Campus Tiangua, Rodovia CE 187, CEP 62320-000, Tiangua (CE), Brasil. adeilson.nascimento@ifce.edu.br 4 Engenheira Agronoma, Dra., Professora do Centro de Ciencias Humanas Sociais e Agrarias, Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Campus III, Cidade universitaria, CEP 58220-000, Bananeiras (PB), Brasil. belisia.diniz@gmail.com 5 Engenheiro Agronomo, Doutorando do Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Fitotecnia, Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Cidade Universitaria, CEP 36570-000, Vicosa (MG), Brasil. gusluso@hotmail.com Recebido para publicacao em 22/05/2012 e aceito em 23/05/2013