ROOT DISTRIBUTION, NUTRIENT CONCENTRATION AND ACCUMULATION IN ‘GIGANTE’ CACTUS PEAR IRRIGATED WITH SALINE WATER

ABSTRACT In semiarid regions with greater climatic variability, including prolonged droughts and delayed rainy seasons, supplemental irrigation is critical to ensuring yields of forage cactus pear. The objective was evaluate root distribution nutrient concentration accumulation in ‘Gigante’ pear subjected different regimes. Seven regimes were tested: no (rainfed); five liters medium-salinity water, an electrical conductivity (EC) 0.75 dS m−1, applied per linear meter every 15 days; 7% reference evapotranspiration (ETo) a 15-d interval (II); 15% ETo 7-d II; 33% 3-d 50% 2-d 100% ETo, irrigated daily - high-salinity EC 3.6 used the last treatments. treatments laid out randomized block design four replicates. Roots developed best plants at II. Applying water promotes higher concentrations P, Ca, Mg S cladodes II uptake/accumulation Mg, Zn