Tomate cereja em função de doses de potássio cultivado em luvissolo e vertissolo, São Domingos – PB.

Abstract

The increase in vegetable consumption is associated with the nutritional significance that they play for the population, in addition to providing financial suport for plenty of families, in which tomato crop is in highlight position, with distiction for the recent progress of cultivating “cherry”. However, there is a need for alternatives that maximize their production in several regions, allowing a major advance of its productive scale. Thus, the present study aimed the evaluation of two kinds of soil in Paraíba semiarid region in association with diferent doses of potassium in cherry tomato crop. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse at a experimental farm of Federal University of Campina Grande at Sciences and Agri-food technology Center – Pombal Campus, São Domingos city-PB, between the months of may to september of 2019. The sowing was carried out in 200 mL polystyrene cups for seedling production, and then, they were transplanted into 12L plastic buckets filled with soil. The experimental design used was the randomized blocks in a 6x2 factorial design, with six doses of potassium (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125% of recommended doses of K) and two soil classes (Luvissolo and Vertissolo), with four repetitions per treatment. The portions were distributed at 4 lines, with twelve plants each, amounting 48 experimental units. The spacing used was 1,50 (lines) x 0,60m (plants), with plants conducted by staking. It was analyzed plants growth variables, plants height and stalks diameter, at 15, 30, 45 and 60 DAT. There were 6 harvests starting at 80 DAS, where the number of fruit, average of fruit weight and production per plant were evaluated, and also fruit pulp diameter and firmness. Chemical caracteristics of pH, Brix and total acidity were analyzed. The Luvissolo presented better results related to productivity. The Vertissolo proved to be superior for growth and physicochemical characteristics. The potassium fertilization in the cherry tomato culture showed greater influence when used in Luvissolo.