Agronomic performance and bromatology of Purple Hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella Welw. ex Hiern) under shading with colored screens

Abstract

Purple hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella Welw. ex Hiern) is an Unconventional Food Plant (UFP) used for food, medicinal, and ornamental purposes due to its nutritional potential, flavor, and color. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the morphological performance and bromatology of purple hibiscus under shading with colored screens. The experiment was conducted at the experimental campus of the Federal University of Acre in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 treatments and two pots for each of the 4 replicates. The treatments used were: full sun (T1) and shaded with colored screens in red (T2), blue (T3), black (T4), and aluminet (T5). At 35 days, the following variables were evaluated: plant height (PH), stem diameter (SD), number of leaves (NL), number of fruits (NF), fresh shoot mass (FSM), dry shoot mass (DSM), dry root mass (DRM), and total dry mass (TDM). At 90 days, analyses were conducted for moisture determination and protein quantification. Data were analyzed, and means were compared using Tukey's test (p<0.05). Significant effects were observed only for dry root mass and proteins. Therefore, purple hibiscus, being a hardy plant, adapts well to various types of shading and full sun. However, considering cost reduction and the absence of significant differences in overall averages, cultivation in full sun proves to be more viable.