Physiology and yield of yellow passion fruit under organic and silicon fertilization in a semiarid environment

Abstract

Several semiarid regions have soils with low organic matter content and adverse climates. Organic and silicon fertilization can benefit plants physiologically, thus contributing to increasing the yield of agricultural crops. The present study aimed to evaluate the gas exchanges, cell water status and yield of yellow passion fruit under organic and silicon fertilization and semiarid conditions. The field experiment used a randomized block design, in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme, consisting of two soil organic matter levels (no addition and 4 %) and five silicon doses (0, 27, 54, 81 and 108 g plant-1), with four replications and six plants per plot. The gas exchanges, cell water status and yield of yellow passion fruits were assessed. Regardless of the applied dose, silicon affected certain aspects related to gas exchanges and cell water status. Applying 108 g of silicon per plant results in higher fruit yields, and increasing the soil organic matter to 4 % ensures a better cell water status and yield of yellow passion fruit under semiarid conditions.

KEYWORDS: Passiflora edulis Sims, gas exchanges, cell water status, soil organic matter.