Cobertura do solo como atenuante na produção de forragem irrigada com água salina

Abstract

Aiming to evaluate the influence of using different types of soil cover (dead and artificial) in the production of sorghum forage with irrigation water in different types of electrical conductivity. The experiment was set up in a greenhouse at the Agricultural School of Jundiaí - Academic Unit Specialized in Agricultural Sciences, belonging to the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, located in the municipality of Macaíba - RN. The experimental design used was completely randomized with four replications in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme, totaling 16 treatments. The treatments consisted of four types of cover: no cover, carnauba straw, sawdust and plastic mulching, and four levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water: 0, 2, 4 and 6 dS m-1 . At the end of the experiment, the following were evaluated: plant height (AP), stem diameter (DC), leaf area (AF), total dry mass (MST), effective cct, sum of bases (SB), electrical conductivity in the saturation stratum (CEes) concentration of sodium in the soil. With the use of appropriate management techniques and practices, it is possible to produce quality forage using water with high levels of salts for irrigation, and it was observed that the use of soil coverings favored the development of the crop.