O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar os efeitos do uso de água salina em diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento de plantas de feijão-de-corda sobre a eficiência de utilização de água e de nutrientes. O experimento foi conduzido no campo e obedeceu ao delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com cinco tratamentos e cinco repetições. Os tratamentos empregados foram: T1 - água de poço com condutividade elétrica (CEa) de 0,8 dS m-1 durante todo o ciclo; T2 - água salina (CEa de 5,0 dS m-1) durante todo o ciclo; T3, T4 e T5 - água salina de 0 a 22 dias após o plantio (DAP), de 23 a 42 DAP e de 43 a 62 DAP, respectivamente. As plantas dos tratamentos T3, T4 e T5 foram irrigadas com água de poço nas demais fases do ciclo. Aos 8; 23; 43 e 63 DAP, as plantas foram colhidas e determinaram-se a matéria seca total e de grãos, a eficiência no uso da água, considerando a produção de matéria seca total (EUA P) e a produção de grãos (EUA GR), e a eficiência de utilização de nutrientes (K, Ca, N, P, Fe, Cu, Zn e Mn). A aplicação de água salina durante todo o ciclo (T2) reduziu a EUA P e a EUA GR, enquanto a aplicação de água na fase inicial do ciclo (T3) reduziu a EUA GR e a eficiência de utilização da maioria dos nutrientes. Por outro lado, a irrigação com água salina dos 23 aos 42 DAP (T4) e dos 43 aos 62 DAP (T5) não afetou as eficiências nos usos de água e de nutrientes.<br>The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of the saline water applied at different development stages of cowpea plants, on water and nutrient use efficiency. The experiment was set up in the field, during the dry season. A completely randomized block design, with five treatments and five repetitions was adopted. The treatments studied were: T1 - (groundwater with electrical conductivity (ECw) of 0.8 dS m-1) during the whole crop cycle; T2 - saline water (ECw = 5.0 dS m-1) during the whole crop cycle; T3, T4 and T5 - saline water from 0 to 22 days after sowing (DAS), from 23 to 42 DAS and from 43 to 62 DAS, respectively. The plants of T3, T4 and T5 were irrigated with groundwater in the remaining stages of the crop cycle. At 8, 23, 43 and 63 DAS the plants were harvested and the total dry mass and grain yield were measured. The water use efficiency was estimated by using total dry mass production (WUE P) and grain yield (WUE GR), as well as the nutrients use efficiency - NUE, (K, Ca, N, P, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn). The application of saline water during whole the crop cycle (T2) reduced WUE P and WUE GR, while the use of saline water during the germination and initial plant development (T3) caused reduction in WUE GR and in the NUE for most of the analyzed nutrients. Irrigation with saline water from 23 to 42 DAS (T4) and from 43 to 62 DAS (T5) did not affect water and nutrient use efficiencies.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar os efeitos do uso de água salina em diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento de plantas de feijão-de-corda sobre a eficiência de utilização de água e de nutrientes. O experimento foi conduzido no campo e obedeceu ao delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com cinco tratamentos e cinco repetições. Os tratamentos empregados foram: T1 - água de poço com condutividade elétrica (CEa) de 0,8 dS m-1 durante todo o ciclo; T2 - água salina (CEa de 5,0 dS m-1) durante todo o ciclo; T3, T4 e T5 - água salina de 0 a 22 dias após o plantio (DAP), de 23 a 42 DAP e de 43 a 62 DAP, respectivamente. As plantas dos tratamentos T3, T4 e T5 foram irrigadas com água de poço nas demais fases do ciclo. Aos 8; 23; 43 e 63 DAP, as plantas foram colhidas e determinaram-se a matéria seca total e de grãos, a eficiência no uso da água, considerando a produção de matéria seca total (EUA P) e a produção de grãos (EUA GR), e a eficiência de utilização de nutrientes (K, Ca, N, P, Fe, Cu, Zn e Mn). A aplicação de água salina durante todo o ciclo (T2) reduziu a EUA P e a EUA GR, enquanto a aplicação de água na fase inicial do ciclo (T3) reduziu a EUA GR e a eficiência de utilização da maioria dos nutrientes. Por outro lado, a irrigação com água salina dos 23 aos 42 DAP (T4) e dos 43 aos 62 DAP (T5) não afetou as eficiências nos usos de água e de nutrientes. | The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of the saline water applied at different development stages of cowpea plants, on water and nutrient use efficiency. The experiment was set up in the field, during the dry season. A completely randomized block design, with five treatments and five repetitions was adopted. The treatments studied were: T1 - (groundwater with electrical conductivity (ECw) of 0.8 dS m-1) during the whole crop cycle; T2 - saline water (ECw = 5.0 dS m-1) during the whole crop cycle; T3, T4 and T5 - saline water from 0 to 22 days after sowing (DAS), from 23 to 42 DAS and from 43 to 62 DAS, respectively. The plants of T3, T4 and T5 were irrigated with groundwater in the remaining stages of the crop cycle. At 8, 23, 43 and 63 DAS the plants were harvested and the total dry mass and grain yield were measured. The water use efficiency was estimated by using total dry mass production (WUE P) and grain yield (WUE GR), as well as the nutrients use efficiency - NUE, (K, Ca, N, P, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn). The application of saline water during whole the crop cycle (T2) reduced WUE P and WUE GR, while the use of saline water during the germination and initial plant development (T3) caused reduction in WUE GR and in the NUE for most of the analyzed nutrients. Irrigation with saline water from 23 to 42 DAS (T4) and from 43 to 62 DAS (T5) did not affect water and nutrient use efficiencies.

Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.), which is considered an alternative source of vegetable protein, is grown particularly under rainfed conditions. Therefore, it is important to look for better management practices that lead to a more efficient use of resources, such as water and essential nutriments, to obtain higher yields. The aim of this work was to determine the influence of nitrogen and plant density on phenology, nitrogen and water use efficiency (WUE), biomass production, and seed yield of amaranth planted on June 11, 1999, with 0, 10, and 20 g m(-2) N and 12.5, 25.0, and 33.3 plants m(-2). With the application of N and with a higher plant density (PD), the efficiency in water use and in N was greater, and in consequence, biomass production and yield increased as well. These increments were higher with higher N level and higher DP. In this way, with 20 g N m(-2) and 33.3 plant m(-2) a biomass production of 2827 g m(-2) and seed yield of 346 g m(-2) were obtained. Phenology was not affected by the treatments. The requirement of sowing heat units to physiological maturity was 1629 UC and 385 mm of water used in evapotranspiration.