BIOSTIMULANT POTENTIAL OF Trichoderma spp. IN THE CULTURE OF JAMBU
Acmella oleracea (L.) R. K. Jansen; Acmella ciliata (Kunth) Cass.; bioestimulant; cropping system; growth promotion; Amazon.
Jambu is a leafy vegetable with enormous versatility of use, showing potential for both fresh food and industrial exploitation. However, its productivity varies according to the type of management adopted in the cultivation environment. Thus, the objective of this research was to evaluate the biostimulant potential of Trichoderma spp. in promoting growth and productivity in local jambu varieties. For this, an experiment was carried out divided into two stages, the first being to choose the biostimulants, adopting a completely randomized design, in a 2x7+2 factorial scheme, with two replications, where the first factor was composed of the jambu varieties and the second by the biostimulants, with two additional, without inoculation. In the second stage, the selected biostimulants were tested on jambu varieties directly in the field. At this stage, we adopted a randomized block design, in a 3x4+3 factorial scheme, with four replications, with the factors being composed of varieties and biostimulants. In the biostimulant selection phase, vegetative development characteristics and chlorophyll content were evaluated. In the field phase, we carried out the characterization of biostimulated and non-biostimulated seedlings, before transplanting. Days to start of flowering, physiological parameters were also evaluated, and at the time of harvest, development and biomass production characteristics were measured. In the selection of biostimulants, biostimulated Jamb-03 showed longer petioles and a greater number of secondary branches, compared to Jamb-16. The CBMAI 1622 strain stimulated shorter petioles in Jamb-16, differing from the control treatment. The biostimulants enabled vigorous growth of the seedlings, compared to treatments without inoculation during transplanting. Stomatal opening was influenced by inoculation, but we did not find a significant effect on other physiological characteristics. There was early flowering in Jamb-17 plants biostimulated with MIX. The characteristics of growth and biomass production were not affected by biostimulants, except dry mass and dry mass productivity of the aerial part, with MIX promoting a 34.4% increase in dry mass productivity compared to IBLF 1236. In other characteristics, the differences between varieties regulated responses. Therefore, we found that the inoculation of Trichoderma spp. in jambu it can promote the development of more vigorous seedlings, with early flowering in the field and accumulation of dry biomass. However, the results are conditioned by the specificity of the interaction.