Author(s)

Hallyson Oliveira^*, Ronaldo do Nascimento, Samuel Silva, José Alberto Ferreira Cardoso, Rafaela Felix Basílio Guimarães, Elka Costa Santos Nascimento

Post-Graduated of Agricultural Engineer, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande, Brazil.

The objective of the research was to evaluate the effects of saline stress on the initial growth and physiological parameters of three varieties of cotton plants, being two cultivars of colored fiber (BRS Topázio and BRS Verde) and one of white fiber (BRS 286). The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions. After chemical depletion with sulfuric acid, five seeds were seeded in polyethylene pots of 20 kg, leaving only one plant per pot after thinning. The experimental design was completely randomized, with a factorial scheme of 3 × 5, with five replications, totaling 75 plots, being three cotton varieties and five saline stress treatments—1.1; 3.1; 5.1; 7.1; 9.1 dS m⁻¹. The evaluations occurred at 15 and 30 days after the beginning of the treatments (DAT) for growth variables (plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves and leaf area) and gas exchange (stomatal conductance, net photosynthesis rate and transpiration. The variety that was most resistant to the salt stress levels studied was BRS 286, followed by BRS Topazio and BRS Verde.

Photosynthesis, Stomatal Conductance, Dry Mass, Resistance, Cultivars

Oliveira, H. , do Nascimento, R. , Silva, S. , Cardoso, J. , Guimarães, R. and Nascimento, E. (2018) Initial Growth and Gas Exchanges of Plants of Colored Cotton Submitted to Saline Stress. Agricultural Sciences, 9, 1652-1663. doi: 10.4236/as.2018.912115.