Substrates and time intervals of renewal of wastewater in production and post-harvest of the ornamental sunflower

• Main Authors: José Amilton Santos Júnior, Hans Raj Gheyi, Aldrin Martin Pérez-Marin, Nildo da Silva Dias, Doroteu Honório Guedes Filho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal do Ceará
• Series: Revista Ciência Agronômica
• Subjects: Helianthus annus L.; Hydroponic system; Water reuse
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1806-66902014000300006&lng=en&tlng=en

Flower production in semi-hydroponic systems is a profitable alternative for generating income in communities of small farmers in the semiarid region of Brazil. This is because such a system of cultivation relates aspects of the climate, water and soil of the region, favoring the production of crops. In this work, the use of wastewater as a source of water and nutrients was studied, renewed at four time intervals (daily and every two, three and four days), and of three growth substrates (coconut fiber, sand and sugarcane bagasse), in the production and post-harvest period of sunflowers. These treatments were distributed in a completely randomised design and analysed in a 4 x 3 factorial with three replications, giving a total of 36 experimental units. It was found that plants under the wastewater renewal of every four days demonstrated characteristics compatible with commercial standards for sunflowers, if grown in sand or coconut fiber.