Growth and production of two cotton cultivars irrigated with saline water

Abstract

Due to the importance of cotton for Paraiba State and the lack of good quality water in many regions, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of salinity of irrigation water, (electrical conductivity levels of 0.016; 1.5; 3.0; 4.5; 6.0 e 7.5 dS m^-1) on growth and crop production of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. r. latifolium Hutch.) cultivars CNPA-7H and brown colored cotton BRS 200 in factorial desgin 6 x 2 in completely randomized design with 4 repetitions and 12 plants per plot. Increase of irrigation water salinity above 4.2 dS m^-1 inhibited plant height, above 2.1 dS m^-1 decreased dry mass production of shoots and, above 3.1 dS m^-1 damaged the crop production of both cotton genotypes, but in relatively less in cultivar CNPA-7H.

Key words:
Gossypium hirsutum; salinity; water quality