Agronomic performance of sorghum crop under salt stress in soil with plant mulch

Desempenho agronômico da cultura do sorgo sob estresse salino em solo com cobertura morta vegetal

ABSTRACT

Excess salts in irrigation water affect the production potential of agricultural crops; however, the use of plant mulch can mitigate salt stress. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the yield of sorghum crop under salt stress and different strategies for using plant mulch. The experiment was conducted under field conditions from July to October 2021, in the municipality of Redenção, Ceará, in the Baturité Massif region, Brazil. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, in a 5 x 2 factorial scheme, referring to the mulching strategies (MS1: with mulch throughout the cycle; MS2: without mulch throughout the cycle; MS3: with mulch during stage 1 = germination until panicle initiation; MS4: with mulch during stage 2 = panicle initiation until flowering; MS5: with mulch during stage 3 = flowering until physiological maturity) and two levels of electrical conductivity of water - ECw (0.8 dS m^-1 and 6.0 dS m^-1), with 4 repetitions. Using plant mulch throughout the cycle and the control treatment are more efficient for panicle weight. Using plant mulch throughout the cycle under irrigation mitigates salt stress and promotes greater yield in sorghum. From the beginning of panicle appearance until flowering, irrigation with water of lower salinity led to higher yield.

Keywords:
Sorghum bicolor L; Salinity; Soil protection