Salinity and nitrogen doses in the production and oil content of castor bean

Abstract

The proper management of irrigation and mineral nutrition is critical to the success of crops, especially crops grown under salt stress conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the production and oil content of castor plants (Ricinus communis L.) irrigated with brackish water with different salinity levels (0.6, 1.6, 2.6, 3.6, and 4.6 dS m-1) and grown under different nitrogen levels (50, 75, 100, 125, and 150 mg of N kg-1 soil). These treatments were arranged in a completely randomized block design with a 5 ? 5 factorial scheme and three repetitions, totaling 75 experimental units. The interaction effect between salinity levels and nitrogen levels affected fruit weight per plant and oil content, and irrigation with brackish water with an electrical conductivity starting at 0.6 dS m-1 reduced the number of racemes per plant, number of fruits, and the weight of fruits and seeds.