CYTOKININ AND AUXIN INFLUENCE ON GROWTH AND QUALITY OF WATERMELON IRRIGATED WITH SALINE WATER

SANTOS,GISELE LOPES DOS; PEREIRA,FRANCISCO HEVILÁSIO FREIRE; SOUSA,VALÉRIA FERNANDES DE OLIVEIRA; SUASSUNA,CESENILDO DE FIGUEIREDO; SANTOS,ALBANISA PEREIRA DE LIMA; BARROS JÚNIOR,AURÉLIO PAES

CYTOKININ AND AUXIN INFLUENCE ON GROWTH AND QUALITY OF WATERMELON IRRIGATED WITH SALINE WATER

2022

ABSTRACT Watermelon has great economic relevance, but edaphoclimatic factors and inadequate management have favored the salinization of the water used for irrigation, which is a limiting factor for the growth and production of the crop. However, it is considered that the use of growth regulators belonging to the group of cytokinins and auxins may contribute to the development and yield of crops, even under adverse conditions such as salinity. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the influence of cytokinin and auxin proportions on the growth and quality of watermelon irrigated with saline water. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replicates and 5 x 2 factorial, referring to five proportions of growth regulators (0/100; 25/75; 50/50; 75/25 and 100/0%) corresponding to concentrations of 1.0 and 10.0 mg L−1 of forchlorfenuron (CPPU)/ indoleacetic acid (IAA), and two salinity levels, one composed of water without adding salt (0.3 dS m-1) and the other with 2.0 dS m−1 electrical conductivity. The proportions of cytokinin and auxin influenced the growth and quality of watermelon subjected to salinity in irrigation water. The 25/75% (CPPU/IAA) proportion favored smaller decreases in leaf area and total dry mass under a saline condition of 2.0 dS m−1. For fresh and dry fruit mass, the 75/25% (CPPU/IAA) proportion favored smaller reductions. Fruit firmness and soluble solids were favored by the proportions 25/75 and 50/50% (CPPU/IAA) at EC of 2.0 dS m−1. Acidity was only influenced by the proportion of 50/50% (CPPU/IAA) between the electrical conductivity levels.

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