HIGHLIGHTS:
A low value of electrical conductivity of irrigation water does not affect the production of tomato seedlings.
Irrigation water with electrical conductivity above 2.31 dS m-1 impairs root growth and quality of tomato seedlings.
Maestrina and Coração de Boi were the tomato cultivars most tolerant to irrigation water with electrical conductivity of 3.0 dS m-1.
ABSTRACT
The use of water with different salinity values in the production of vegetable seedlings is an issue of global concern; therefore, selecting tomato cultivars with tolerance to saline water is essential to improve the fruit quality and production. This study aimed to estimate the maximum electrical conductivity of irrigation water that does not harm the production of tomato seedlings and find cultivars with tolerance to the effects of salinity in this phase. In the first experiment, the treatments were arranged in a 3 × 8 factorial scheme (three tomato cultivars and eight values of electrical conductivity of irrigation water). The second experiment was arranged in a 10 × 3 factorial scheme (10 cultivars and three values of electrical conductivity of irrigation water). The 50% reduction in the root dry matter accumulation occurred with the electrical conductivity of irrigation water (ECw) of 2.31 dS m-1. The reduction of more than 50% of the Dickson quality index was observed with an ECw of 6.38 dS m-1. Irrigation with 3.0 dS m-1 impairs the complete emergence and growth of seedlings of all tomato cultivars. Coração de Boi, Dominador, Maestrina, Sheena, and Shanty were the tomato cultivars most tolerant to the irrigation water with 3.0 dS m-1 of ECw. The electrical conductivity of irrigation water higher than 2.31 dS m-1 impairs the root growth of tomato seedlings.
Key words:
Solanum lycopersicon; salt stress; osmotic potential; root development
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ns - Not significant by F-test; *, ** - Significant at p ≤ 0.05 and p ≤ 0.01 by F test, respectively. EC50 - electrical conductivity corresponding to 50% of the relative value of each variable compared to the control treatment (0.02 dS m-1)
ns - Not significant by F-test; *, ** - Significant at p ≤ 0.05 and p ≤ 0.01 by F test, respectively. EC50 - Electrical conductivity corresponding to 50% of the relative value of each variable in the control treatment (0.02 dS m-1)
Means followed by distinct uppercase letters are different by the Tukey test for salinity within each cultivar; equal lowercase letters indicate that cultivars belong to the same cluster by the Scott-Knott clustering test within each salinity value *and ** - Significant at p ≤ 0.05 and p ≤ 0.01 by F test, respectively
