Fábio Rodrigues de Miranda

Production of strawberry cultivars in closed hydroponic systems and coconut fibre substrate

The objective of this work was to evaluate yield and average fruit weight of strawberry cultivars Albion, Camarosa, Festival and Oso Grande, in two closed hydroponic systems (gutters and grow bags), using coconut fibre as substrate. The experimental design was of randomised blocks, divided into strips, with five replications. The hydroponic systems did not differ significantly as to yield, with advantages, such as savings in water and fertilizer and reduced environmental impact, over open systems. The most productive cultivar was Festival, followed by Oso Grande, with average yields of 6.99 kg m-2 and 5.56 kg m-2 respectively. The cultivars with the greatest fruit weight were Oso Grande and Albion, having averages of 11.8 and 11.1 g respectively, with the former being significantly superior to the latter. The highest yield (7.4 kg m-2) was obtained from the cultivar Festival under the gutter system. The Ibiapaba region has conditions which are favourable to strawberry production in relation to precocity (harvesting starts in the 6th week of growth) and production continues throughout the year; however there is a need to test new cultivars and to improve the cultivation techniques with an aim to producing larger-sized fruit.

Uso de efluentes da carcinicultura na irrigação de Panicum maximum cvs. Tanzânia e Mombaça

The study aimed to evaluate soil chemical changes and yield of two cultivars of Panicum maximum Jacq. (Tanzania and Mombaca) in response to irrigation with effluent from inland shrimp farming and compare the results with those obtained with conventional irrigation using river water. The experiment was carried out in a shrimp farm, in Russas-CE, Brazil. It was used a randomized block design, in a factorial 2 (grass cultivars) x 2 (types of irrigation water). The following yield variables were evaluated in four grass cuttings: height, dry matter yield and dry matter content. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey test. The following soil chemical properties were analyzed before and after treatment application: pH, electrical conductivity of saturated extract (CE), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), organic matter, P, K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ and Na + . Data were analyzed using t tests for paired observations, at 5% significance level. Irrigation with effluent from shrimp farming did not increased or reduced significantly dry matter yield of two cultivars of Panicum maximum as compared to irrigation with Jaguaribe river water. After 14 months of cultivation, levels of Na + , CE and ESP increased significantly (p

Uso de efluentes da carcinicultura de águas interiores na irrigação do arroz

O trabalho objetivou avaliar a producao de arroz e as alteracoes quimicas do solo, em resposta a irrigacao com o efluente da carcinicultura de aguas interiores e comparar os resultados com aqueles obtidos com a irrigacao convencional, utilizando agua do Rio Jaguaribe. A producao de graos obtida com o uso do efluente da carcinicultura foi semelhante aquela obtida com o uso da agua de rio, quando foi utilizada na adubacao uma dose de N-P-K equivalente a 100% da dose recomendada para a cultura. O uso do efluente na irrigacao proporcionou maior producao de graos em relacao a irrigacao com a agua de rio, quando foi utilizada uma dose de N-P-K equivalente a 75% daquela recomendada para a cultura do arroz. Apos o cultivo, o solo irrigado com o efluente apresentou maiores niveis de Na+, CEes e PST em relacao ao solo irrigado com a agua do Rio Jaguaribe.

Assessment of Soil Moisture by Family Farmers Under Multi-Cropping Systems in a Semiarid Region

Sustainable practices are key factors in the advancement of environmental protection in agroecosystems, especially if these systems are situated in degraded and vulnerable areas, such as semiarid regions. One sustainable practice developed primarily in tropical farms is the use of a multi-cropping system. This system was applied using participatory approaches by family farmers from a semiarid region of Brazil and evaluated based on the perception and monitoring of the farmers, particularly the soil moisture enhancement in their productive areas. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of management practices on soil moisture in multi-cropping areas using an alternative method, based on the standard method, developed and applied by farmers in the field. In addition, the soil moisture alterations in multi-cropping systems were evaluated considering the water retention curve and the soil moisture monitoring in situ. We concluded that conservative practices in multi-cropping systems do contribute to water conservation. Furthermore, the establishment of a methodology to evaluate multi-cropping systems directly in the field by farmers is an important strategy to show to the farmers’ results that confirm the importance of the practices developed by them to maintain good production and general benefits to the environment.