Hydroponic cultivation of coriander intercropped with rocket subjected to saline and thermal stresses in the root-zone

ABSTRACT An experiment was carried out in a randomized blocks design, aiming at evaluation of the cultivation of coriander intercropped with rocket subjected to saline and thermal stresses in the root-zone. Six treatments were evaluated, as follows: four treatments consisted of the combinations of two levels of electrical conductivity of water (ECw 0.3 and 6.5 dS m-1) with two root-zone temperatures - RZT (ambient: < 25 °C and constant at 30 °C). The respective waters were used to prepare the nutrient solution and to replenish the water consumed. In the other two treatments the cultivation was performed at ambient RZT, one with 0.3 dS m-1 level used to prepare the solution and 6.5 dS m-1 level to replenish the consumption, and other with 6.5 dS m-1 level used to prepare the solution and 0.3 dS m-1 level to replenish the water consumed. Plant height, stem diameter, water content in shoot, fresh and dry matter of shoot, and tolerance index of saline and thermal stresses were evaluated. The coriander was more tolerant to combined stresses than the rocket. For the isolated stresses, there was a greater reduction in the production of both crops as a function of salinity than by thermal stress.