GROWTH AND PRODUCTION OF ZUCCHINI IN FUNCTION OF COW URINE CONCENTRATION AND FORM OF APPLICATION

Abstract

Cow urine can be considered a farming sub product, whose effect on vegetables requires research investigation. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of cow urine on growth and production of zucchini. The experiment consisted of 12 treatments, arranged in a randomized block design in split-plots, with six repetitions. The plots were the forms of application (soil and foliar) and the split-plots the cow urine solution concentrations (0; 1; 2; 3; 4 and 5%). The status of N (SPAD), flowering, production of fruit and vegetative part was evaluated. The SPAD index was not influenced by the forms of application and concentrations; however, along the cultivation cycle, a SPAD linear increase was observed in both forms of application. When the solution was applied via leaves, the limb and petiole and sheet fresh matter mass presented an increasing linear response to the concentrations, with maximum values estimated of 653, 784 and 9.80 g/plant, respectively; total number of fruit and number and fresh matter of commercial fruit had a quadratic behavior, with estimated maximum values of 10.0 and 9.5 fruit and of 1.72 kg, respectively, obtained at the concentration of 5%. When the solution was applied via soil, a greater production of total fresh mass of fruit/plant was obtained at the concentration of 2.55%; however, the best results in terms of fresh matter of commercial fruit and number of total and commercial fruit/plant was observed with foliar application of solution at a concentration of 5%.