VÍNCULO POSITIVO ENTRE SILICATOS E MANEJO DE IRRIGAÇÃO NO TOMATEIRO

Abstract

Irrigation management in tomato plants is important due to the importance of this Solanaceae in the Brazilian context. The objective was to evaluate sodium silicate by foliar application in tomato plants Lycopersicum esculetum L. (Solanaceae) as an interactive agent on water stress under protected cultivation conditions. Tomato plants were subjected to four irrigation shifts (3, 6, 9, 12 days), and three concentrations of sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) (0.0% Si L-1, 0.2% Si L-1 and 0.4% Si L-1) via foliar application. The values stipulated for the irrigation shifts comprised levels varying from the sufficient supply of water to the plant to the water deficit. The irrigation management was performed with the aid of the water retention curve in the soil and class A tank. The experimental design used was in randomized blocks, in a 3x4 factorial scheme (doses of sodium silicate x water tensions in the soil), totaling 12 treatments with four repetitions. In general, the irrigation shift - considering it in isolation - influenced more in production parameters than in fruit quality.