ABSTRACT

Increasing population pressure generates a greater demand for food and consumer products, which forces the agricultural sector to optimize the production systems, as well as to use edible and energetic specie cultivars associated with abiotic stress-reducing substances. This investigation aimed to evaluate whether silicon (Si) promotes physiological adjustments, an increase in production, higher yield, and improved quality of naturally colored cotton fibers. Five doses of silicon (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg L⁻¹) were tested in a completely randomized design. The variables assessed were physiological, production, fibers yield and quality produced by BRS Safira cultivar. Data were submitted to principal component analysis, multivariate and univariate variance, and multiple linear regression. Silicon promotes physiological adjustments, increased production, and cotton fiber quality. Optimum Si dose varies depending on the variable response. Fiber quality from cotton plants treated with Si is within the expected pattern for this cultivar and the international standard D-4605 of the American Society for Testing and Materials for fiber quality measurement. Therefore, planting BRS Safira cultivar under Si foliar applications may be recommended to improve the naturally colored fiber cotton production chain in the Brazilian semiarid region.

摘要

不断增加的人口压力产生了对食品和消费品的更大需求，这迫使农业部门优化生产系统，以及使用与非生物压力降低物质相关的可食用和充满活力的物种栽培品种。本研究旨在评估硅 (Si) 是否促进生理调节、产量增加、产量增加和天然有色棉纤维质量的改善。五种剂量的硅（0、50、100、150 和 200 mg L ^-1) 在完全随机的设计中进行了测试。评估的变量是 BRS Safira 栽培品种产生的生理、产量、纤维产量和质量。将数据提交给主成分分析、多变量和单变量方差以及多元线性回归。硅促进生理调整、增加产量和棉纤维质量。最佳硅剂量取决于可变响应。用硅处理过的棉花植物的纤维质量在该品种的预期模式内，符合美国测试和材料协会的纤维质量测量国际标准 D-4605。因此，可能建议在 Si 叶面施用下种植 BRS Safira 品种，以改善巴西半干旱地区的天然彩色纤维棉生产链。