Water-Retaining Polymer and Planting Pit Size on Chlorophyll Index, Gas Exchange and Yield of Sour Passion Fruit with Deficit Irrigation

Water availability is a limiting factor for the cultivation of sour passion fruit. Soil management techniques and the use of water-retaining polymers can increase soil water retention, reducing the frequency of irrigation in the crop. In this context, the objective of the research was to evaluate the gas exchange, the chlorophyll index, and the yield of the sour passion fruit cv. BRS GA1 as a function of irrigation depths, pit volumes, and doses of water-retaining polymer. The experiment was carried out in randomized blocks, in plots subdivided in a 2 x (2 x 5) arrangement, with irrigation depths of 70 and 100% of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) as the main plot, the subplots with the volumes of pit of 64 and 128 dm(3), and doses of the water-retaining polymer of 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g dm(-3). The interaction of irrigation depths x pit volumes x doses of water-retaining polymer influences chlorophyll indexes, gas exchange, and water productivity, with positive impacts on yield of the sour passion fruit. The water depth of 70% of ETc increased the yield of sour passion fruit, in pits of 64 dm(3). The application of doses of up to 1.1 g dm(-3) of the water-retaining polymer and irrigation with water of 70% of ETc is recommended, and a dose of 2.0 g dm(-3) of the water-retaining polymer in a pit volume of 128 dm(3), associated with an irrigation depth of 100% ETc causes stress in sour passion fruit plants due to excess water.