SILVA, Breno Moura da.
Abstract:
In order to study the effect of leveis of available water in the soir with and
without mulch on the soir surface under the growth and photosynthetic activity of
bean Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp.), cv. BRS Pujante. The study was
conducted at the Centre for Science and Technology Agrifood the Federal
University of Campina Grande, using a completely randomized design, with
treatments arranged in a factorial scheme 5 x 2, corresponding to the leveis of
available water (AD) 201 401 601 80 and 100%, maintained after the soil
irrigation, depending on the mulch (CC) without cover (SC) and four repetitions,
totaling the 40 experimental units. At 45 days the cowpea plants were evaluated
for growth and gas exchange. The highest growth in number of leaves and leaf
área of BRS Pujante occurs in water with crops available in the soil above 75%.
The soil cover reduced the effects of water stress on plant growth. The
mechanism of tolerance of plants of the BRS Pujante is related to reducing the
number of leaves and leaf área and the increase of gas exchange in the
remainlng leaves. The cowpea cultivar BRS Pujante presents high leveis of
efficiency of water use under conditions of low water availability.
