Emergence and growth of huacle chili seedlings (Capsicum annuum L.) with the use of biological formulations in commercial plot soil.

Abstract

Objective: This research aimed to evaluate the effect of biological control agents (BCA) and two biological formulations: Bio-Terra and Bio-CNPR against phytopathogens present on soil of huacle chili pepper (Capsicum annum) plantations and to obtain healthy chili seedlings.

Design/methodology/approach: The variables that were evaluated were germination percentage, disease incidence and survival, from the latter the measurement of stem height and root length was performed. The experimental unit was the tray with 30 seedlings with 4 repetitions per treatment: T, T1, T2, T3, T4. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for the response variables and those that presented significant differences, Tukey's mean test was applied with a significance level of p ≤ 0.05, analyzed with the Minitab Statistical program version 20.0.

Results: Fusarium spp was isolated on all soils of the plots cultivated with huacle pepper. Treatment T1 presented the best effect inhibitory against Fusarium spp., with 92.2% germination and 18.3% incidence of Fusarium spp., was found the 82% surviving seedlings had an average height of 16 cm and 7.9 cm of root length. The treatment labeled T4 present the best results on variables of germination, percent incidence and survival. This can be explain, because the soil used was sterilized and the fungus not propagules may present irreversible detrimental process that can lead to death and not infected the the huacle chili pepper seedlings. In contrast, T did not prosper due to the death of all seedlings with non-sterile soil, or with BCA or biological products.

Limitations of the study/implications: The trays with the 30 huacle pepper seedlings were placed with a plastic barrier, to prevent cross-contamination between treatments.

Findings/conclusions: The BCA with containing the nitrogen-fixing bacteria and B. subtilis, present in, T1, record the best results to inhibit damage generated by Fusarium spp., by expressing antagonism and allowing high percentage of survival of chili seedlings huacle and acted as a promoter of plant development by presenting the best root growth and height of the seedlings.