Efficiency of Nitrogen Fertilization in Millet Irrigated with Brackish Water

• Published in: Nitrogen (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 5; no. 2; pp. 455 - 467
• Main Authors: Gomes de Sousa, Geocleber, Rodrigues Costa, Francisco Hermeson, de Sousa, José Thomas Machado, de Sousa Almeida, Murilo, Primola Gomes, Silas, de Lacerda, Claudivan Feitosa, de Araújo Viana, Thales Vinicius de Araújo, de Oliveira Santos, Samuel, da Silva Junior, Francisco Barroso, Lopes, Fernando Bezerra, Vieira Lima, Sílvio Carlos Ribeiro, da Silva, Alexsandro Oliveira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-06-2024
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agronomic crops; Brackish water; Calcium conductance; Cereal crops; Chlorophyll; Conductivity; Efficiency; Electrical conductivity; Electrical resistivity; Fertilization; Fertilizers; Gas exchange; Hydroxyapatite; Irrigation; Irrigation water; Leaves; Millet; Nitrogen; Nitrogen fertilizers; Nutrient deficiency; Pennisetum glaucum L; Photosynthesis; Physiological aspects; Physiological responses; Physiology; Plant nutrition; Potassium; Potassium conductance; Salinity; Salinity effects; Salinity tolerance; Salt stress (Botany); Salts; Sodium; Sodium conductance; Soil fertility; Stomata; Stomatal conductance; Transpiration; Variance analysis; Water; Water salinity; Water use; Water use efficiency; Brazil; United States > US
• ISSN: 2504-3129; 2504-3129
• DOI: 10.3390/nitrogen5020029

Nitrogen fertilization can provide greater nutritional support and mitigate salt stress in the millet crop. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological responses and agronomic performance of millet crop subjected to nitrogen fertilization and irrigation water salinity. The study was carried out in a greenhouse, using a completely randomized design in a 5 × 2 factorial scheme, with four replications, with five doses of nitrogen (40; 60; 80; 100 and 120 kg ha−1 of N), and two levels of electrical conductivity for the irrigation water: 0.3 and 4.0 dS m−1. We concluded that salt stress increased leaf sodium levels and had a negative impact on stalk and panicle dry mass, leaf gas exchange, mineral element concentrations (K, P, and Ca), and water use efficiency. The use of lower-salinity water associated with increased nitrogen fertilization provides greater stalk and panicle dry mass, photosynthesis, water use efficiency, chlorophyll index, leaf potassium concentration, and biomass production. The adverse effects of salt stress were evident in decreased transpiration and stomatal conductance, alongside reductions in leaf phosphorus and calcium levels, coupled with elevated leaf sodium concentrations, particularly as nitrogen fertilization rates increased in potted millet plants. These findings offer insights for devising strategies aimed at mitigating the detrimental effects of salt stress on millet plant nutrition through targeted nitrogen fertilization approaches.