Salt stress in okra cultivated under different planting systems and mulch

Abstract

Salt stress directly affects the cultivation of glycophyte plants by reducing water and nutrient uptake, which rapidly affects growth rate and assimilate accumulation. Therefore, a planting system involving transplantation or direct seeding in combination with a plant mulch on the soil can mitigate the detrimental effects of salt stress. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the growth and biomass accumulation of okra crop under salt stress in different planting systems, with and without plant mulch. The study was conducted in polyethylene pots, under full sunlight, in Redenção - CE. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design, in a 3×2×2 factorial scheme, representing three electrical conductivities of irrigation water (0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 dS m^-1), two planting systems (direct sowing and transplanting) and with and without plant mulch, with 6 replications. Leaf area, leaf number, root length, and dry weight of okra are negatively affected by salt stress (2.5 dS m^-1) even under soil protection and different cropping systems. Plant mulch reduced the effects of salts on all biomass variables in both cropping systems at an electrical conductivity of 1.5 dS m^-1.