Qualidade de mudas de couve com o uso de biofertilizante

Abstract

The growing demand for healthy foods and sustainable agricultural practices has encouraged the use of biofertilizers as an alternative to conventional chemical inputs, especially in family farming. This work aims to evaluate, in the future, the effects of applying foliar biofertilizer, obtained by aerobic fermentation, on the development of kale (Brassica oleracea L.) seedlings, cultivar Manteiga da Geórgia. The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Federal Institute of Amapá, in a completely randomized design, with four concentrations of biofertilizer (0%, 4%, 8% and 12%) and four replications. The seeds were acquired from an agricultural supply store of the Isla brand; the seedlings were produced in multi-cell trays, using a substrate composed of black soil, washed sand, and cured sawdust. Two seeds were sown per cell and transplanted after 5 days. The biofertilizer was produced by a farmer in the region and was applied via foliar spraying at 3-day intervals using a manual sprayer, up to 33 days after sowing (the time of evaluation). Biometric variables such as plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, and fresh and dry weight of the aerial and root parts were evaluated. The results showed that: for shoot length, number of leaves, root length, fresh weight of the shoot, and leaf area, the biofertilizer did not increase. For shoot dry weight and root fresh and dry weight, the 12% biofertilizer concentration provided the best results. Future studies with vegetable seedlings using the biofertilizer at different concentrations are needed; biofertilizers are important for clean, sustainable, and healthy agriculture, thus requiring studies with different crops and conditions.