NPK combinations mitigate the deleterious effects of salt stress on the morphophysiology of West Indian Cherry

Abstract

Under salt stress, plant growth and development are negatively affected due to physiological changes,
requiring strategies such as fertilization management to minimize these effects. In this scenario, this study aimed
to evaluate the effect of combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium on the growth, leaf water
status, electrolyte leakage, and gas exchange of West Indian Cherry grown under water stress in the second
year of production. The experiment was conducted in a protected environment in Campina Grande - PB.
The treatments were distributed in a randomized block design with a 2 × 10 factorial arrangement with three
replications corresponding to two electrical conductivity levels of irrigation water– ECw (0.6 and 4.0 dS m^-1)
and ten combinations of fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (80-100-100; 100-100-100; 120-
100-100; 140-100-100; 100-80-100; 100-120-100; 100-140-100; 100-100-80; 100-100-120, and 100-100-140% of the
recommendation in the second year of production). Irrigation with the ECw of 4.0 dS m-1 negatively affected
plant growth, the leaf water status, electrolyte leakage, and the leaf gas exchange of West Indian Cherry.
However, the 40% increase (C4 -140-100-100% of the recommended N-P₂O₅-K₂O level) in the nitrogen level
mitigated the deleterious effects of salt stress on the relative water content, internal CO₂ concentration, and the
CO₂ assimilation rate of West Indian Cherry plants in the second year of production.