Fluorescence and Growth of Eggplant under Irrigation Levels and Silicon Doses

Aims: The study was conducted to evaluate the fluorescence and growth of eggplant under influence of water deficit and silicon doses.

Study Design: The design was a randomized complete block design, in a 5 x 2 factorial arrangement, with four replications and one plant per plot, totaling 40 experimental units.

Length and Place of Study: The research was implemented between September and November 2016, in a greenhouse of the Center of Science and Technology Agrifood, at the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG / CCTA), Campus of Pombal-PB, Brazil.

Methods: Doses of 0, 75, 150, 225 and 300 mg L-1 of silicon and the irrigation slides of 50 and 100% of real evapotranspiration - ETr were used, which were obtained by weighing the pots daily in order to keep the weight close to the field capacity.

Results: The use of 50% level of the ETr provides reductions of 5.58; 7.92 and 6.84% of fluorescence in the initial, maximum and quantum yield of the photosystem. The fresh and dry mass of the stem presented the maximum productivity (140.8 and 48.1 g) in the plants irrigated with 100% Etr and treated with doses of 106 and 110 mg L-1 of Si.

Conclusion: The fluorescence and biomass of the eggplant plants is reduced with the decrease in irrigation level; while the application of silicon does not result in increment in the fluorescence and dry mass of the leaf. The 100% irrigation level of the ETr associated with the application of 108 mg L-1 of silicon resulted in the best results in stem mass accumulation.