COMPONENTES DE PRODUÇÃO E PRODUTIVIDADE DO TOMATEIRO SUBMETIDO A NÍVEIS DE REPOSIÇÃO HÍDRICA E ÉPOCAS DE SUPRESSÃO DA IRRIGAÇÃO

Abstract

Water, among other factors, is what most influences the quantity and quality of the fruits, which is why efficient soil moisture control is essential for high productivity and ecologically sustainable agricultural commercial exploitation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different levels of water replenishment and periods of suppression of irrigation on the production components, productivity and fruit quality of the tomato. An experiment was carried out under field conditions, in a soil classified as Latossolo, in a private property in the municipality of Ceres-GO, using a hybrid of determined size conducted in the half-stake system. The transplanting of seedlings was done 25 days after sowing, distributed under a randomized complete block design, in a subdivided plots scheme (5 x 4), five irrigation slides (40, 55, 70, 85 and 100% of the evapotranspiration) and four times of suppression of irrigation (90, 100, 110 and 120 days after planting-DAP). Surface drip irrigation was used daily for 26 days after transplantation to establish the seedlings, and after the differentiation of the treatments, a two days irrigation shift according to the crop evapotranspiration (ETc – initials in Portuguese) adjusted to its respective treatment. The variables analyzed were: number of flowers per plant, number of bunches per plant, number of flowers per cluster, percentage of aborted flowers, length of fruit, width of fruit, thickness of fruit wall, number of locules per fruit, number of flowers fruits per plant, number of fruits per cluster, average fruit mass, total productivity, commercial productivity, non-commercial productivity. The tomato crop responds linearly to the imposed water replenishment, so, the 100% water replacement is the most indicated. The best time of water suppression to the tomato is at 120 DAP. A water retention of more than 50% of the ETc applied in the tomato crop during 120 DAP obtain higher produtivity.