APLICAÇÃO FOLIAR DE SILICATO DE SÓDIO EM PLANTAS DE TOMATE SOB CULTIVO PROTEGIDO

Abstract

The use of silicon shows promising results in productivity of each crop, however, their effectiveness or not, to minimize the effects of water stress on tomato culture is incipient and should be studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate sodium silicate doses foliar application on tomato Solanum lycopersicum and assess the negative effects of water stress under greenhouse conditions. The quality (length, diameter and fruit weight, shell thickness and number of fruits / plant) tomato were quantified, and the fruits submitted to treatments productivity parameters. Group salad tomato plants were subjected to four rounds watering (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) foliar application. The values stipulated in irrigation interval understood levels ranging from a sufficient supply of water to the plant to the water deficit. The irrigation management was carried out with the aid of aevaporimeter, or mini - tank class A. The experimental design was a randomized block in a factorial 3x4 (sodium silicate doses x irrigation interval), totaling 12 treatments with four replicates. In general, the irrigation interval considering the isolation influenced more production parameters than in fruit quality. From the moment in which the tomato plants are becoming older Si occurred most significant factor in the parameters evaluated.