Initial growth of cherry tomatoes under irrigation with saline water in a soil with bovine biofertilizer

An experiment was conducted, from October 2009 to February 2010, in a greenhouse of the Soil and Rural Engineering Department from CCA - UFPB, Areia - PB, to evaluate the influence of the irrigation water salinity in the initial growth of the cherry tomatoes in a non-saline soil with and without two types of bovine biofertilizer. The experimental design was completely randomized in factorial scheme 5 x 3, with six repetitions, referring to values of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water: 0.5; 1.0; 2.0; 3.0 and 4.0 dS m(-1), in the soil without biofertilizer, with ordinary biofertilizer and enriched with milk, molasses, agricultural gypsum. The biofertilizers after dilution in non-saline water (0.5 dS m(-1)) in the ratio of 1:1 were applied only once, two days before sowing, equivalent to 10% of the substrate volume. The biofertilizers provided higher growth of plants regarding the soil without the respective inputs, regardless of water salinity level. The addition of ordinary biofertilizer and the enriched compost raised the saline character of soil more than under saline water only, but no significant difference were observed.