Physiological aspects and production of coriander using nutrient solutions prepared in different brackish waters

ABSTRACT The analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence is one of many ways to quantify the salt damage to photosynthetic performance and crop production. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the photochemical efficiency and production of coriander, cultivar ‘Verdão’, as a function of the electrical conductivity levels of the nutrient solution and the cationic nature. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, in a 4 × 3 factorial scheme, with four replicates. The treatments consisted of four electrical conductivities of the nutrient solutions (ECns = 1.6, 3.2, 4.8, and 6.4 dS m-1) and three kinds of water of different cationic natures (Na+; Ca2+; Mg2+), which were prepared with the dissolution of different salts - NaCl, CaCl2.2H2O, and MgCl2.6H2O in supply water (ECw = 0.12 dS m-1), that is, three predominant cationic natures. The study was carried out in a greenhouse between November and December 2019 at the Fertigation and Salinity Laboratory of the Agricultural Engineering Department of the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. It was found that the increase in the electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution affected reaction centers, photochemical activity, and carboxylation efficiency and resulted in reductions in stomatal conductance, CO2 assimilation rate, and therefore, in the biomass production of coriander. Different cationic prevalence in water causes differences in the intensity of salt damage, especially with increasing concentration.