The peanut crop has adaptive features to high salinity levels in the soil, due to its morphological and physiological characteristics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of biofertilizer in reducing the effects of irrigation water salinity on the vegetative and physiological behavior of the peanut crop, as well as the crop development under saline conditions. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in an experimental design with randomized blocks, adopting a 6 × 3 factorial scheme, concerning the irrigation water salinity (CEa) in six levels (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 dS m-1) and three doses of biofertilizer (applied at 15, 30 and 45 days after germination), with four replications, totaling 72 experimental units. The variables analyzed were: plant height; fresh and dry weight of shoots; stem diameter; length, fresh weight and dry weight of roots; number of branches; leaf area; photosynthetic radiation, chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll. The use of biofertilizer had no influence on reducing the effects of irrigation water salinity in the development of the peanut crop. Salinity negatively affected all physiological and growth variables.

 

Key words: Electric conductivity, salinity, organic input, Arachis hypogaea.