Use of Water-Absorbent Polymer in the Production of Passion Fruit Seedlings (Passiflora edulis) under Different Irrigation Shifts in a Protected Environment

Abstract

The use of hydrogel in agriculture has the potential to improve the physical-water attributes of the soil, favoring the cultivation of different species. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the influence of applying doses of hydroabsorbent polymer on yellow passion fruit seedlings grown in protected environments under different irrigation shifts. The work was conducted at the Murupu Campus of the Federal University of Roraima. The experimental design was a double factorial, where the factors studied were: different doses of hydroabsorbent polymer (0 g L-1; 0.5 g L-1; 1.0 g L-1; 1.5 g L-1 and 2.0 g L-1) and two irrigation shifts (daily and alternate irrigation). It was observed that the concentration between 1.5 and 2 g L-1 of hydrogel allowed the greatest development of biometric parameters, below these values ​​the seedlings did not reach their full growth. Therefore, it was found that the use of hydrogel proved to be an efficient technology for producing seedlings in the edaphoclimatic conditions of the state of Roraima.