Sensitivity of precocious dwarf cashew to the saline stress in pre-flowering

Abstract

The cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) crop is of great economic and social importance for the Northeast Brazil, a region affected by water and soil salinity. The present study was conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate the sensitivity of the clone CCP76 of the precocious dwarf cashew to the saline stress in the pre-flowering stage. The treatments consisted of five levels of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water (ECw: 0.8; 1.6; 2.4; 3.2 and 4.0 dS m^-1, at 25 ^oC), delineated in randomized blocks, with three repetitions. Significant effect of the increase of ECw was observed on the plant growth. The precocious dwarf cashew is moderately sensitive to salinity of irrigation water in pre-flowering stage. The value of ECw = 1.6 dS m^-1 was considered as a threshold tolerance for the pre-flowering of the studied genotype. The use of saline waters above 0.8 dS m-1 of electrical conductivity produced reduction in water consumption by the plants.