Productive and physiological performance of jambu genotypes cultivated in hydroponics

Abstract

ABSTRACT Jambu is a condiment herb used in the preparation of typical and herbal dishes in the Amazon Region. The inflorescences, leaves, and stems of the plant are used. In addition, jambu has numerous applications in the cosmetics and food industries due to the presence of the bioactive compound spilanthol. The objective of this study was to evaluate the productive and physiological performance of jambu genotypes of Acmella oleracea, and Acmella ciliata species grown in hydroponics. The experiment used was a completely randomized design with eight treatments and four replicates. The treatments consisted of jambu genotypes (UFR-1, UFR-2, UFR-3, UFR-4, UFR-5, UFR-6, UFR-7 and UFR-8) collected in different locations in the state of Pará. We evaluated the beginning of flowering, length of the main branch, diameter of the main branch, leaf area, shoot fresh mass, inflorescence fresh mass, root fresh mass, total fresh mass, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, internal CO2 concentration, and instant carboxylation efficiency. The genotypes presented different behaviors about the productive and physiological growth characteristics. The genotypes UFR-1, UFR-2, UFR-3, UFR-4 and UFR-7 exhibited greater precocity of flowering. In general, genotypes of the species A. oleracea presented lower rate of net photosynthesis when compared to those of the species A. ciliata. The genotypes of A. oleracea showed total fresh mass accumulation capacity, in addition to a high potential for inflorescence production. The genotypes UFR-2 and UFR-4 stood out because they presented higher yields of shoots fresh mass and inflorescences, respectively. Therefore, these genotypes should be considered in crop improvement programs.