Impact of Photosynthetic Efficiency on Watermelon Cultivation in the Face of Drought
| Title: | Impact of Photosynthetic Efficiency on Watermelon Cultivation in the Face of Drought |
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| Authors: | Dayane Mércia Ribeiro Silva, Allan Cunha Barros, Ricardo Barros Silva, Wesley de Oliveira Galdino, José Wilker Germano de Souza, Isabelly Cristina da Silva Marques, Jadielson Inácio de Sousa, Viviane da Silva Lira, Alan Fontes Melo, Lucas da Silva de Abreu, Elias de Oliveira Albuquerque Júnior, Luana do Nascimento Silva Barbosa, Antônio Lucrécio dos Santos Neto, Valdevan Rosendo dos Santos, Francisco Gilvan Borges Ferreira Freitas Júnior, Fernanda Nery Vargens, João Henrique Silva da Luz, Elizabeth Orika Ono, João Domingos Rodrigues |
| Source: | Agronomy, Vol 14, Iss 5, p 950 (2024) |
| Publisher Information: | MDPI AG, 2024. |
| Publication Year: | 2024 |
| Collection: | LCC:Agriculture |
| Subject Terms: | Citrulus lanatus Thumb. Mansf., photosynthesis, water deficiency, yield, Agriculture |
| More Details: | Water availability is a limiting factor for plant production, especially in Brazilian semi-arid regions. The main aim of the study was to investigate the physiological effects of drought during the fruiting stage of watermelon cultivation. A completely randomized block design with four replications and six treatments varied by the number of lateral drip tapes (1 or 2) and the duration of drought stress (0, 4, and 8 days) was used. The following parameters were evaluated: relative chlorophyll content, relative leaf water content, electrolyte leakage, CO2 assimilation (A), stomatal conductance (gs), internal CO2 concentration, leaf temperature, transpiration (E), water use efficiency (WUE), carboxylation efficiency (CE), yield, thickness, diameter, length, and fruit °brix, at 4 and 8 days of drought. Drought negatively affected photosynthesis, particularly in treatments with a single dripper and 4 days of drought, resulting in reductions of up to 60% in A, 68% in gs, 44% in E, 58% in WUE, and 59% in CE, but did not have a significant effect on watermelon yield after 4 or 8 days of irrigation. It was concluded that drought influences the physiological responses of watermelon plants, mainly in reducing photosynthesis, but does not drastically affect fruit productivity in short periods of stress. |
| Document Type: | article |
| File Description: | electronic resource |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 2073-4395 |
| Relation: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/5/950; https://doaj.org/toc/2073-4395 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/agronomy14050950 |
| Access URL: | https://doaj.org/article/ed1daba41a3344079a1c4a77479a1317 |
| Accession Number: | edsdoj.1daba41a3344079a1c4a77479a1317 |
| Database: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
| ISSN: | 20734395 |
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| DOI: | 10.3390/agronomy14050950 |
| Published in: | Agronomy |
| Language: | English |