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Concentrations of indolebutyric acid on air-layering of guava cv. Paluma
Get PDFNowadays, the predominant technique for the commercial propagation of guava seedlings is through cuttings, using herbaceous cuttings that need a specialized infrastructure with intermittent misting, clean water, exhausters, water filters, and fans. As an alternative to plant propagation by cuttings, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of concentrations of indolebutyric acid (IBA) on the rooting of branches of the guava cv. Paluma by air-layering. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four replications and 10 air layers per plot. The treatments consisted of six concentrations of IBA powder mixed with industrial talcum: 0, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 mg.kg-1. Four adult guava parents that were in the off-season period were used. For the preparation of the air layers, the stems were girdled with a 4.0 cm width, using a steel blade, by removing the bark until exposing the cambium region, followed by IBA application and wrapping of the branches with a plastic bag containing moist organic substrate. The following variables were evaluated 120 days after air-layering: percentage of rooted and callused air layers, longest root length, and root dry matter. The analysis of variance indicated no significant differences between the IBA concentrations for all variables, but the rooting percentages were high (68.6 to 92.2%) regardless of the application of the exogenous auxin.Nowadays, the predominant technique for the commercial propagation of guava seedlings is through cuttings, using herbaceous cuttings that need a specialized infrastructure with intermittent misting, clean water, exhausters, water filters, and fans. As an alternative to plant propagation by cuttings, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of concentrations of indolebutyric acid (IBA) on the rooting of branches of the guava cv. Paluma by air-layering. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four replications and 10 air layers per plot. The treatments consisted of six concentrations of IBA powder mixed with industrial talcum: 0, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 mg.kg-1. Four adult guava parents that were in the off-season period were used. For the preparation of the air layers, the stems were girdled with a 4.0 cm width, using a steel blade, by removing the bark until exposing the cambium region, followed by IBA application and wrapping of the branches with a plastic bag containing moist organic substrate. The following variables were evaluated 120 days after air-layering: percentage of rooted and callused air layers, longest root length, and root dry matter. The analysis of variance indicated no significant differences between the IBA concentrations for all variables, but the rooting percentages were high (68.6 to 92.2%) regardless of the application of the exogenous auxin
Gibberellic acid in the postharvest quality of ‘Nanicão’ banana
Get PDFThe article aimed to verify the effect of doses of gibberellic acid on the extension of postharvest life on ‘Nanicão’ bananas. The fruits were harvested in color stage 1 (completely green peel). A completely randomized design was used, in an arrangement of subdivided plots, with doses of GA3 allocated in the plots (0; 50; 100; 150 and 200 mg L-1) and evaluation times allocated in the subplots (0; 3; 6; 9, 12, 15, 19, 23, 27 and 31 days of storage), with four replications, with a bouquet of three fruits per sample unit. The bunches were stored in a refrigeration chamber of 22 ± 1 ºC and relative humidity of 91%. The study assessed fresh weight loss, peel color parameters, peel chlorophyll content, pulp firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and CO2 production. The loss of fresh matter was lower in fruits treated with 200 mg L-1. Fruits treated with 200 mg L-1 had the highest Hue angle value (89.52). For the chlorophyll content, the highest doses favorably influenced the maintenance of the green color of the peel, delaying degradation. After 31 days of storage, the fruits treated with 200 mg L-1 of GA3 were firmer. The soluble solids content increased from 5.5 °Brix to 9.1 °Brix, from day zero until the 15th day of storage for all treatments. There was an increase in the titratable acidity content with the advance of ripening. The fruits of all treatments showed a typical respiratory pattern, regardless of the dose of GA3. After 31 days of storage, it was observed that the dose of 200 mg L-1 of GA3 was favorable to the postharvest conservation of the banana’ Nanicão.’The article aimed to verify the effect of doses of gibberellic acid on the extension of postharvest life on ‘Nanicão’ bananas. The fruits were harvested in color stage 1 (completely green peel). A completely randomized design was used, in an arrangement of subdivided plots, with doses of GA3 allocated in the plots (0; 50; 100; 150 and 200 mg L-1) and evaluation times allocated in the subplots (0; 3; 6; 9, 12, 15, 19, 23, 27 and 31 days of storage), with four replications, with a bouquet of three fruits per sample unit. The bunches were stored in a refrigeration chamber of 22 ± 1 ºC and relative humidity of 91%. The study assessed fresh weight loss, peel color parameters, peel chlorophyll content, pulp firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and CO2 production. The loss of fresh matter was lower in fruits treated with 200 mg L-1. Fruits treated with 200 mg L-1 had the highest Hue angle value (89.52). For the chlorophyll content, the highest doses favorably influenced the maintenance of the green color of the peel, delaying degradation. After 31 days of storage, the fruits treated with 200 mg L-1 of GA3 were firmer. The soluble solids content increased from 5.5 °Brix to 9.1 °Brix, from day zero until the 15th day of storage for all treatments. There was an increase in the titratable acidity content with the advance of ripening. The fruits of all treatments showed a typical respiratory pattern, regardless of the dose of GA3. After 31 days of storage, it was observed that the dose of 200 mg L-1 of GA3 was favorable to the postharvest conservation of the banana’ Nanicão.
Phytotechnical parameters and yield of watermelon plants under different irrigation and nitrogen levels
Get PDFWater and nitrogen availability are fundamental for obtaining a high yield of the watermelon plant. However, the appropriate levels of irrigation and nitrogen to be applied according to specific cultivation conditions should be previously determined. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation and nitrogen levels in fertigation on the phytotechnical parameters and yield of the Top Gun hybrid watermelon plant. The experiment was conducted at São Luiz Ranch, in Bom Jesus (PI), from August 4 to October 15, 2015. The blocks in strips experimental design was used with four repetitions, and the treatments consisted of five irrigation depths (114.17, 156.86, 221.16, 268.87, and 317.09 mm) and five doses of nitrogen in fertigation (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg ha-1). The growth rate of the main and primary branches, leaf area, specific leaf area, stem diameter, dry mass of the aerial part, number of fruits, and commercial production per plant were evaluated. Both hydric and nutritional stress caused decreased growth rates, leaf areas, and specific leaf areas, and the highest growth expressions were found with the combination of a 317.09 mm irrigation depth and 200 kg ha-1 nitrogen. The irrigation depths did not influence the diameter of the stem nor the accumulation of dry mass. Nitrogen doses did not influence the number of fruits and production. The 247.95 mm irrigation depth promoted the highest commercial fruit production of the watermelon plant.Water and nitrogen availability are fundamental for obtaining a high yield of the watermelon plant. However, the appropriate levels of irrigation and nitrogen to be applied according to specific cultivation conditions should be previously determined. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation and nitrogen levels in fertigation on the phytotechnical parameters and yield of the Top Gun hybrid watermelon plant. The experiment was conducted at São Luiz Ranch, in Bom Jesus (PI), from August 4 to October 15, 2015. The blocks in strips experimental design was used with four repetitions, and the treatments consisted of five irrigation depths (114.17, 156.86, 221.16, 268.87, and 317.09 mm) and five doses of nitrogen in fertigation (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg ha-1). The growth rate of the main and primary branches, leaf area, specific leaf area, stem diameter, dry mass of the aerial part, number of fruits, and commercial production per plant were evaluated. Both hydric and nutritional stress caused decreased growth rates, leaf areas, and specific leaf areas, and the highest growth expressions were found with the combination of a 317.09 mm irrigation depth and 200 kg ha-1 nitrogen. The irrigation depths did not influence the diameter of the stem nor the accumulation of dry mass. Nitrogen doses did not influence the number of fruits and production. The 247.95 mm irrigation depth promoted the highest commercial fruit production of the watermelon plant
Grafting methods and use of fasteners in monoembryonic, polyembryonic, and multi-stemmed jaboticaba (Plinia jaboticaba (Vell) Berg) seedlings
Get PDFJaboticaba is a native fruit from Brazil, appreciated for its sweet taste and organoleptic characteristics. The propagation of this fruit species occurs exclusively through seeds, which present high germination rates, although with a long period of juvenility, a fact that favors advances in studies aiming at an early fruiting. This research aimed to study a more adequate and rapid grafting method for the jaboticaba cv. Sabará. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with 12 treatments consisting of combinations using three types of seedlings (monoembryonic, polyembryonic, and multi-stemmed), two grafting methods (top cleft and splice grafting), and two fasteners (parafilm® tape and circular clip), with three replications consisting of 10 seedlings each. The analyzed characteristics were: monoembryony (%); polyembryony (%), multi-stemming (%), grafting success rate (%), survival (%), scion length (cm), scion diameter (mm), and rootstock diameter (mm). The percentage of monoembryony (46.4%) was higher than the success rates of polyembryony (36%), and multi-stemming (17.6%). The top cleft grafting method of monoembryonic seedlings fastened with parafilm® and circular clip, and polyembryonic seedlings fastened with circular clip were the more suitable for grafting in the jaboticaba cv. Sabará.Jaboticaba is a native fruit from Brazil, appreciated for its sweet taste and organoleptic characteristics. The propagation of this fruit species occurs exclusively through seeds, which present high germination rates, although with a long period of juvenility, a fact that favors advances in studies aiming at an early fruiting. This research aimed to study a more adequate and rapid grafting method for the jaboticaba cv. Sabará. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with 12 treatments consisting of combinations using three types of seedlings (monoembryonic, polyembryonic, and multi-stemmed), two grafting methods (top cleft and splice grafting), and two fasteners (parafilm® tape and circular clip), with three replications consisting of 10 seedlings each. The analyzed characteristics were: monoembryony (%); polyembryony (%), multi-stemming (%), grafting success rate (%), survival (%), scion length (cm), scion diameter (mm), and rootstock diameter (mm). The percentage of monoembryony (46.4%) was higher than the success rates of polyembryony (36%), and multi-stemming (17.6%). The top cleft grafting method of monoembryonic seedlings fastened with parafilm® and circular clip, and polyembryonic seedlings fastened with circular clip were the more suitable for grafting in the jaboticaba cv. Sabará
Physiological indices and phytomass partition in precocious dwarf cashew clones irrigated with saline waters
Get PDFThis research aimed to evaluate the physiological indices and the accumulation of phytomass in clones of precocious dwarf cashew under salt stress during rootstock formation. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse in the municipality of Pombal-PB. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, and the treatments were organized in a 5 x 3 factorial arrangement, constituting the levels of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water - ECw (0.4 -Control; 1.2; 2.0; 2.8, and 3.6 dS m-1) and the clones of precocious dwarf cashew (Faga 11, Embrapa 51, CCP 76), with three replications and two plants per plot. Water salinity higher than 0.4 dS m-1 resulted in a decrease of the relative growth in plant height, leaf area, and phytomass accumulation in the cashew plant. The cashew clones are sensitive to water salinity from 0.4 dS m-1. Among the physiological indicators, the leaf area ratio, the sclerophylly index, and the root/shoot ratio of the precocious dwarf cashew are highlighted as salt stress indicators. The use of water with 0.4 dS m-1 of electrical conductivity is recommended for the formation of cashew rootstocks.This research aimed to evaluate the physiological indices and the accumulation of phytomass in clones of precocious dwarf cashew under salt stress during rootstock formation. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse in the municipality of Pombal-PB. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, and the treatments were organized in a 5 x 3 factorial arrangement, constituting the levels of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water - ECw (0.4 -Control; 1.2; 2.0; 2.8, and 3.6 dS m-1) and the clones of precocious dwarf cashew (Faga 11, Embrapa 51, CCP 76), with three replications and two plants per plot. Water salinity higher than 0.4 dS m-1 resulted in a decrease of the relative growth in plant height, leaf area, and phytomass accumulation in the cashew plant. The cashew clones are sensitive to water salinity from 0.4 dS m-1. Among the physiological indicators, the leaf area ratio, the sclerophylly index, and the root/shoot ratio of the precocious dwarf cashew are highlighted as salt stress indicators. The use of water with 0.4 dS m-1 of electrical conductivity is recommended for the formation of cashew rootstocks
Water-retaining polymers on the early growth and quality of bushy cashew (Anacardium humile A. St. Hill) seedlings
Get PDFBushy cashew (Anacardium humile A. St. Hill) is an endemic plant species to the Brazilian Cerrado, a region characterized by scarce and poorly distributed rainfall. The use of hydrogel, a water-retaining polymer that features massive water storage and promotes its release into the environment throughout time may be an alternative to reduce the frequency irrigation in the production of bushy cashew seedlings. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and early growth of bushy cashew seedlings as a function of hydrogel doses. The experimental design adopted was in five randomized blocks, with five hydrogel doses (0; 1,0; 2,0; 3,0; and 4,0 g L-1 of soil), and each plot consisting of 10 seedlings, totaling 250 plants. A Yellow Latosol with sandy-loam texture was used for seedling production. The growth evaluation was performed through the variables of emergence speed index, germination percentage, height, diameter, root volume, number of leaves, shoot dry mass, root dry mass, and the Dickson quality index. The results revealed a positive influence of the hydrogel on the growth and quality of bushy cashew seedlings, notably at the dose of 4 g L-1 of soil.Bushy cashew (Anacardium humile A. St. Hill) is an endemic plant species to the Brazilian Cerrado, a region characterized by scarce and poorly distributed rainfall. The use of hydrogel, a water-retaining polymer that features massive water storage and promotes its release into the environment throughout time may be an alternative to reduce the frequency irrigation in the production of bushy cashew seedlings. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and early growth of bushy cashew seedlings as a function of hydrogel doses. The experimental design adopted was in five randomized blocks, with five hydrogel doses (0; 1,0; 2,0; 3,0; and 4,0 g L-1 of soil), and each plot consisting of 10 seedlings, totaling 250 plants. A Yellow Latosol with sandy-loam texture was used for seedling production. The growth evaluation was performed through the variables of emergence speed index, germination percentage, height, diameter, root volume, number of leaves, shoot dry mass, root dry mass, and the Dickson quality index. The results revealed a positive influence of the hydrogel on the growth and quality of bushy cashew seedlings, notably at the dose of 4 g L-1 of soil
Cutting propagation of ‘Cambona 4’ yerba mate clones
Get PDFThe ‘Cambona 4’ yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil. - Aquifoliaceae) stands out for the high productivity and soft taste of the raw material obtained. The seedlings come from the controlled crosses of a female and a male plant. In order to guarantee the planting of even more uniform and productive herbs, the cutting is an alternative of propagation. The objective of this research was to evaluate the rooting capacity of apical and subapical cuttings of six ‘Cambona 4’ clones (C7, C8, C9, C10, C11 and C13) in two seasons, in january (summer/autumn) and april (autumn/winter) treated with 2.000 mg/kg of IBA in the form of talc. The cuttings were standardized with 10 cm, keeping a pair of leaves cut in half. The cutting was done in an agricultural greenhouse, with irrigation by intermittent nebulization, the cuttings were placed to rooting in plastic tubes containing carbonized rice husk. After 120 days, it was verified that the cutting season influenced the response of each clone, but for most clones rooting was higher when performed in summer/autumn, with better rates varying between 78.2% to 90.6% (C8, C9, C11 and C13), while in autumn/winter it was from 59.4% to 75.0% (C7, C10, C11 and C13). In the summer/autumn cutting period, subapical cuttings showed greater survival and rooting than the apical ones, but they didn’t differ when performed in autumn/winter. Leaf retention positively influenced the survival.The ‘Cambona 4’ yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil. - Aquifoliaceae) stands out for the high productivity and soft taste of the raw material obtained. The seedlings come from the controlled crosses of a female and a male plant. In order to guarantee the planting of even more uniform and productive herbs, the cutting is an alternative of propagation. The objective of this research was to evaluate the rooting capacity of apical and subapical cuttings of six ‘Cambona 4’ clones (C7, C8, C9, C10, C11 and C13) in two seasons, in january (summer/autumn) and april (autumn/winter) treated with 2.000 mg/kg of IBA in the form of talc. The cuttings were standardized with 10 cm, keeping a pair of leaves cut in half. The cutting was done in an agricultural greenhouse, with irrigation by intermittent nebulization, the cuttings were placed to rooting in plastic tubes containing carbonized rice husk. After 120 days, it was verified that the cutting season influenced the response of each clone, but for most clones rooting was higher when performed in summer/autumn, with better rates varying between 78.2% to 90.6% (C8, C9, C11 and C13), while in autumn/winter it was from 59.4% to 75.0% (C7, C10, C11 and C13). In the summer/autumn cutting period, subapical cuttings showed greater survival and rooting than the apical ones, but they didn’t differ when performed in autumn/winter. Leaf retention positively influenced the survival
Effect of isolates of entomopathogenic fungi in the coconut eye borer
Get PDFThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of entomopathogenic fungi on adults of Rhynchophorus palmarum (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial design (5x3) + control, composed of five treatments (isolated IBCB 66, CPATC 032, CPATC 057 and T9, and the commercial product Boveril®) and three concentrations of each fungus (107, 108 and 109 conidia.mL-1). The data of confirmed mortality were submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the Proc ANOVA of SAS, and the means compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. To determine percentage survival, confirmed mortality data were subjected to Log-Rank test using the Kaplan-Meyer method. Subsequently the values of LC50 and LT50 were estimated submitting mortality confirmed the Probit analysis. For the concentration 108 conidia.mL-1, the isolates CPATC 032 and CPATC 057 caused confirmed mortality of 52 and 44% of the adults of R. palmarum, respectively. At the concentration 109 conidia.mL-1, the isolates CPATC 032 and CPATC 057 caused mortality of 64 and 52% of the insects, respectively. For the CPATC 032 isolate, in the three concentrations tested, the insects had an average survival of 11 to 12 days. The TL50 of isolate CPATC 032 at concentrations 108 and 109 conidia.mL-1 was approximately 17 days. All isolates tested and the Boveril® product are pathogenic to R. palmarum.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of entomopathogenic fungi on adults of Rhynchophorus palmarum (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial design (5x3) + control, composed of five treatments (isolated IBCB 66, CPATC 032, CPATC 057 and T9, and the commercial product Boveril®) and three concentrations of each fungus (107, 108 and 109 conidia.mL-1). The data of confirmed mortality were submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the Proc ANOVA of SAS, and the means compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. To determine percentage survival, confirmed mortality data were subjected to Log-Rank test using the Kaplan-Meyer method. Subsequently the values of LC50 and LT50 were estimated submitting mortality confirmed the Probit analysis. For the concentration 108 conidia.mL-1, the isolates CPATC 032 and CPATC 057 caused confirmed mortality of 52 and 44% of the adults of R. palmarum, respectively. At the concentration 109 conidia.mL-1, the isolates CPATC 032 and CPATC 057 caused mortality of 64 and 52% of the insects, respectively. For the CPATC 032 isolate, in the three concentrations tested, the insects had an average survival of 11 to 12 days. The TL50 of isolate CPATC 032 at concentrations 108 and 109 conidia.mL-1 was approximately 17 days. All isolates tested and the Boveril® product are pathogenic to R. palmarum
Comparison between non-parametric indexes in the selection of biofortified curly lettuce
Get PDFSelection indexes can be applied to simultaneous analysis of traits, increasing the efficiency of breeding in choosing the genotypes that meet the needs of both the market and the consumer. While it is a technic applied to several cultures, there are few studies about it in lettuce lines. For this reason, the aim of this study was to comparate assess the efficiency of different selection indexes for selecting biofortifiedleaf lettuce lines with good agronomic traits. The experiment was carried out at the Estação Experimental de Hortaliças of Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), campus Monte Carmelo, in 2018. The experiment was designed in full randomized blocks of 3 repetitions with 25 leaf lettuce genotypes (22 lines from cultivars Pira 72 versus Uberlândia 10000 and 3 commercial cultivars – cv. Grand Rapids, UFU-Biofort and Uberlândia 10000). The lines are part of the UFU biofortified lettuce breeding program and were assessed for the total green mass (g), the stem diameter (cm), commercial leaves count, plant diameter (cm), foliar temperature (°C), SPAD index, anthocyanin content (mg 100g-1 sample), and bolting (days after sowing). To estimate selection gains, 10 genotypes were selected using both direct and indirect selection, as well as the traditional index, the sum of ranks index, Willians base index, and the multiplicative index. Mulamba and Mock sum of ranks index and Subandi multiplicative index provided the biggest total gains for the traits assessed in biofortified leaf lettuce. Both indexes were similar in selecting genotypes.Selection indexes can be applied to simultaneous analysis of traits, increasing the efficiency of breeding in choosing the genotypes that meet the needs of both the market and the consumer. While it is a technic applied to several cultures, there are few studies about it in lettuce lines. For this reason, the aim of this study was to comparate assess the efficiency of different selection indexes for selecting biofortifiedleaf lettuce lines with good agronomic traits. The experiment was carried out at the Estação Experimental de Hortaliças of Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), campus Monte Carmelo, in 2018. The experiment was designed in full randomized blocks of 3 repetitions with 25 leaf lettuce genotypes (22 lines from cultivars Pira 72 versus Uberlândia 10000 and 3 commercial cultivars – cv. Grand Rapids, UFU-Biofort and Uberlândia 10000). The lines are part of the UFU biofortified lettuce breeding program and were assessed for the total green mass (g), the stem diameter (cm), commercial leaves count, plant diameter (cm), foliar temperature (°C), SPAD index, anthocyanin content (mg 100g-1 sample), and bolting (days after sowing). To estimate selection gains, 10 genotypes were selected using both direct and indirect selection, as well as the traditional index, the sum of ranks index, Willians base index, and the multiplicative index. Mulamba and Mock sum of ranks index and Subandi multiplicative index provided the biggest total gains for the traits assessed in biofortified leaf lettuce. Both indexes were similar in selecting genotypes
Photosynthesis and production of West Indian cherry irrigated with saline waters under nitrogen/potassium fertilization
Get PDFFertilization management is a technique that has been studied for the mitigation of salt stress in plants. In this perspective, this work aimed to evaluate the effects of combinations of potassium and nitrogen fertilization on the photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic efficiency, and production of the West Indian cherry irrigated with waters of different salinities, between 420 and 550 days after transplanting. The experiment was conducted in an open field at the Center of Sciences and Agrifood Technology of the Federal University of Campina Grande, using 60 L lysimeters, in a randomized block design with a 5 x 4 factorial scheme, corresponding to five salinity levels of the irrigation water – ECw (0.3; 1.3; 2.3; 3.3, and 4.3 dS m-1) and four combinations of nitrogen and potassium fertilization (C1 = 70% N + 50% K2O; C2 = 100% N + 75% K2O; C3 = 130% N + 100% K2O, and C4 = 160% N + 125% K2O) of the dose recommended for the West Indian cherry, with three replications and one plant per plot. The cv. Flor Branca was studied through its grafting on a rootstock of the cv. Junco. The irrigation with ECw above 0.3 dS m-1 reduced the contents of chlorophyll a and b in the leaves, the photochemical efficiency, CO2 assimilation rate, instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, instantaneous water-use efficiency, and the number of fruits per plant. The combined fertilization with 70% of N + 50% of K2O increased the photosynthetic pigments, photosynthesis, and the number of fruits per plant, as well as mitigated the deleterious effects of water salinity on the production per plant up to the ECw of 2.3 dS m-1, which revealed to be the most adequate combination for West Indian cherry fertilization.Fertilization management is a technique that has been studied for the mitigation of salt stress in plants. In this perspective, this work aimed to evaluate the effects of combinations of potassium and nitrogen fertilization on the photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic efficiency, and production of the West Indian cherry irrigated with waters of different salinities, between 420 and 550 days after transplanting. The experiment was conducted in an open field at the Center of Sciences and Agrifood Technology of the Federal University of Campina Grande, using 60 L lysimeters, in a randomized block design with a 5 x 4 factorial scheme, corresponding to five salinity levels of the irrigation water – ECw (0.3; 1.3; 2.3; 3.3, and 4.3 dS m-1) and four combinations of nitrogen and potassium fertilization (C1 = 70% N + 50% K2O; C2 = 100% N + 75% K2O; C3 = 130% N + 100% K2O, and C4 = 160% N + 125% K2O) of the dose recommended for the West Indian cherry, with three replications and one plant per plot. The cv. Flor Branca was studied through its grafting on a rootstock of the cv. Junco. The irrigation with ECw above 0.3 dS m-1 reduced the contents of chlorophyll a and b in the leaves, the photochemical efficiency, CO2 assimilation rate, instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, instantaneous water-use efficiency, and the number of fruits per plant. The combined fertilization with 70% of N + 50% of K2O increased the photosynthetic pigments, photosynthesis, and the number of fruits per plant, as well as mitigated the deleterious effects of water salinity on the production per plant up to the ECw of 2.3 dS m-1, which revealed to be the most adequate combination for West Indian cherry fertilization