Water availability of two soil-types and at different cropping ages on the agronomic performance of Jureminha

Abstract

The study was developed to evaluate the effects of two soil-types under different levels of water availability and cropping ages on the components of vegetative growth and chemical composition of jureminha plants (Desmanthusvirgatus L. Willd.). The treatments were distributed in a 2 x 4 factorial in a completely randomized block design with twelve replications of the factors: two soil types, one being from the humid region of the town of Alagoinha, and other from the semi-arid region of the town of São João do Cariri, both in the State of Paraíba; four levels of water availability (40, 60, 80 and 100% of the available water) and four cropping ages (60,; 90; 120 and 150 days after the emergence of seedlings), the study being carried out in a greenhouse at CCA / UFPB,in  Areia, Paraíba. An increase in the water available in the soil stimulates plant growth but inhibits gross protein production in jureminha. Plants grew more, and produced less protein in the soil from São João do Cariri in relation to that from Alagoinha.