TY  - EJOU
AU  - Silva, Rodrigo Rafael da 
AU  - Queiroz, Gabriela Carvalho Maia de 
AU  - Sousa, Amanda Cibele da Paz 
AU  - Souto, Antônio Gustavo de Luna 
AU  - Andrade, Francisco Hélio Alves de 
AU  - Morais, Francimar Maik da Silva 
AU  - Marcelino, Rita Magally Oliveira da Silva 
AU  - Ferreira, Fagner Nogueira 
AU  - Silva, Alex Alvares da 
AU  - Clemente, Maria Isabela Batista 
AU  - Junior, Baltazar Cirino 
AU  - Silva, Wedson Aleff Oliveira da 
AU  - Santos, Mateus de Freitas Almeida dos 
AU  - Medeiros, José Francismar de 

TI  - Tolerance of Sweet Sorghum (<i>Sorghum bicolor)</i> to Water Deficit and Irrigation Water Salinity: Water Relations and Production
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 2025
VL  - 94
IS  - 9
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - Due to its tolerance to water deficit and salinity, sorghum is considered a suitable crop for cultivation in regions affected by these stress conditions, enabling the efficient use of limited water resources. This study evaluated the resilience of the sweet sorghum cultivar BRS 506 under water deficit and salinity stress, focusing on water relations and yield performance in semiarid conditions. A randomized complete block design was employed in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement with four replicates. Treatments consisted of three levels of irrigation water salinity (1.50, 3.75, and 6.00 dS m<sup>−1</sup>) and three irrigation levels (50%, 75%, and 100% of the estimated maximum crop evapotranspiration, ETc), corresponding to water deficits of 50%, 25%, and 0% of ETc. Salinity stress resulted in similar electrolyte leakage in both years. In 2022, relative water content decreased with increasing salinity, whereas saturation deficit and water absorption capacity increased. The highest electrolyte leakage occurred under a 25% water deficit. In contrast, water-related physiological parameters in 2021 remained stable despite water deficits. Juice yield declined by 13.38% under the highest salinity level (6.00 dS m<sup>−1</sup>) compared with the lowest (1.50 dS m<sup>−1</sup>). Under water deficit conditions, total yield, dry matter, stalk biomass, and juice yield were comparable between 0% and 25% water deficit, with significant reductions only at 50%. Overall, BRS 506 demonstrated resilience to salinity, maintaining cellular integrity. Despite adverse effects on plant water status at high salinity, total yield was unaffected. A 25% irrigation reduction resulted in only a 6.64% yield loss, indicating improved water use efficiency and highlighting the potential for sustainable cultivation of sweet sorghum in water-limited environments.
KW  - Abiotic stress; sorghum <i>BRS 506</i>; osmotic stress; Brazilian semiarid region

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2025.068089