Initial growth and dry matter accumulation of papaya cultivars subjected to water salinity in hydroponic system

Abstract

Considering the importance of papaya crop for the Brazilian semiarid region, aimed to evaluate the initial growth and dry matter accumulation of varieties of papaya submitted to different electrical conductivity of the water. The experiment was carried out during the period March to May 2011 in a greenhouse environment, of the Centro de Ciências e Tecnologia Agroalimentar da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (CCTA-UFCG), Campus de Pombal, PB. The treatments consisted of three electrical conductivity of water (ECw) in the preparation of nutrient solution (0.3, 2.0 and 3.5 dS m^-1) and two varieties of papaya (Solo Sunrise and Tainung-1), in a completely randomized design, in factorial scheme 3 x 2, with three replications. At 25 days after transplanting the seedlings were evaluated for height, stem diameter, leaf area, leaf number, total dry mass, shoot, root and the root / shoot ratio. The increase in water salinity inhibited the initial growth and dry matter accumulation in plants of papaya. The electrical conductivity of water from 2.0 dS m^-1 inhibited the growth and accumulation of dry matter of papaya, with higher intensity in cultivar Tanung-01.