Morphophysiology and water relations of Spondias rootstocks under different irrigation frequencies

ABSTRACT The semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil is characterized by scarcity of water for irrigation purposes due to long periods of drought, compromising the development of species such as Spondias tuberosa L. and Spondias mombin L., which, despite being considered drought tolerant, can have their yield negatively affected by low water availability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphophysiology, quantum efficiency and water relations of S. tuberosa and S. mombin rootstocks under different irrigation intervals in the semi-arid region of Paraíba, Brazil. The experimental design was carried out in randomized blocks, in a 5 × 2 factorial scheme, referring to 5 irrigation intervals - INT (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 days after each irrigation event) and two species of the genus Spondias - SPC (S. tuberosa and S. mombin) with four replicates and three plants per plot, totaling 120 plants. Irrigation management with a five-day irrigation interval reduced gas exchange and growth of rootstocks of the Spondias species. The quantum efficiency of photosystem II of Spondias rootstocks (S. tuberosa and S. mombin) was not compromised when the plants were irrigated every two and four days. Irrigation every three days in the early stages of development of Spondias species can be used with the lowest losses in gas exchange and growth of rootstocks.