Maize growth is greater with cashew gum hydrogel in water deficit

The use of hydrogels can maximize water use in response to growing food demands. However, research is needed to investigate the appropriate dose for water deficit situations. The objective of this research was to evaluate the growth of maize subjected to different levels of water deficit with the use of cashew gum-based hydrogel in different doses. The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul in a completely randomized design with three replicates. A 2x4 factorial scheme was used with two irrigation levels (50 and 100% of water storage capacity) and four hydrogel doses, 0; 60; 120; and 240 mg pot^-1, which correspond to 7,5; 15; 30; and 60 kg ha^-1. After 70 days of germination, the maize plants were measured to determine their total height and then cut close to the ground. The material was then sent to the laboratory, their fresh mass was weighed, and they were dried in an oven at 65ºC for 72 hours until they reached a constant weight. The dry mass was determined on a precision analytical balance (grams per pot). Only the isolated effects of irrigation levels and hydrogel doses were significant. The higher irrigation level provided greater height and dry mass in maize plants. There was a linear adjustment tomaize plant growth in response to hydrogel doses. However, for dry mass, quadratic behavior was displayed. The results indicate that regardless of the irrigation level, the use of cashew gum hydrogel doses between 15 and 30 kg ha-1 provide greater growth in maize plants.