Yield and physical-chemical quality of okra fruits irrigated with brackish water and phosphorus fertilization

Abstract

ABSTRACT Phosphate fertilization can mitigate the deleterious effects of salts in the different stages of okra. The objective was to evaluate the effect of the cyclical use of water of lower and higher ECw at different phenological stages under phosphorus fertilization on productivity and fruit quality of okra. A completely randomized design was used, in a 4 x 3 factorial scheme, with four irrigation strategies of cyclical use with water of 0.3 dS/m (W1) and 2.0 dS/m (W2) applied in different phenological stages (IS1 = W1 throughout the cultivation cycle; IS2 = W2 in the establishment phase, W1 in the vegetative phase and W2 in the reproductive and maturation phase; IS3 = W1 in the establishment phase and W2 in the vegetative, reproductive and maturation phase; and IS4 = W1 in the establishment and vegetative phase, and W2 in the reproductive and maturation phase, with three doses of phosphorus (0, 50 and 100 kg/ha), and four replications. Cyclic water use of 0.3 dS/m in the establishment and vegetative phase and 2.0 dS/m in the reproductive and maturation phase reduced the thickness of the peel, while for the length of the fruit this reduction was evidenced with the use of water 0.3 dS/m throughout the cycle. Doses of 50 and 100 kg/ha provided greater performance in fruit quality and productivity of okra.