Efeito do uso de telas de sombreamento na produção e qualidade nutricional do almeirão cultivar verde spadona (Cichorium intybus)

Abstract

Cichorium intybus is a leafy vegetable from the Asteraceae family, which has a strong bitter flavor and is characterized by production in places with a mild climate. In addition to being used in cooking, endive has several chemical compounds with nutraceutical properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, among others. As it originates from regions with a milder climate, its production is affected by high levels of light and high temperatures, but it has been gaining ground in the local market. In an attempt to minimize the effect of high temperatures, alternatives such as the use of shading screens can be an important resource from a production point of view so that this vegetable can spread among hardwood cultivation in regions with a hot climate. In this study, the use of shading screens was used, with Sombrite, 50% and 35%, Sombrite® black in addition to Chromatinet® 35% in red, in addition to the open field. The seeds were sown in trays in a greenhouse like commercial substrate and transplanted to the respective treatments 25 days after emergence (DAE). The phenological effects provided by each treatment were evaluated, such as number of leaves, leaf area and dry mass, also evaluating physiological characteristics of the plants such as photosynthetic and accessory pigments, such as chlorophyll a and b in addition to total carotenoids and the levels of the main antioxidants present in the plant, which are Anthocyanins, Flavonoids, phenols and the antioxidant potential of these plants using the DPPH method. The use of Sombrite 50% resulted in a 20% reduction in the average of the variables number of leaves and leaf area per plant compared to plants produced under Chromatinet 35% and 26% in the dry mass variables in relation to plants produced in the field open field, with a 25% reduction in the variable fresh mass per plant being observed, in plants produced under Shambrite 50% there was also a 45% increase in nitrate levels when compared to the other treatments, as for the open field, the levels of chlorophyll b and chlorophyll total were higher than the other treatments, in relation to the variables of Anthocyanins, Flavonoids, Total Phenols and the antioxidant potential using the DPPH method, no statistical difference was observed between the treatments. We concluded that plants produced in the open field and under chromatinet 35% under the conditions of the present study had a higher production and a low nitrate content when compared to shade 50%, being a good recommendation for the productive period.