Abstract

MATEUS-CAGUA, Diana  and  RODRIGUEZ-YZQUIERDO, Gustavo. Effect of biostimulants on dry matter accumulation and gas exchange in plantain plants (Musa AAB). rev.colomb.cienc.hortic. [online]. 2019, vol.13, n.2, pp.151-160. ISSN 2011-2173.  https://doi.org/10.17584/rcch.2019v13i2.8460.

Biostimulants can potentially improve plant growth and development, modifying physiological processes. This study evaluated the effect of four biostimulants on the growth of 'Hartón' plantain plants and the leaf gas exchange during the vegetative phase. This experiment was developed on a plantain farm's nursery in Fuente de Oro (Colombia) with a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The treatments were the biostimulants: Bactox WP®: Bacillus subtilis (Bs); Baliente®: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (Ba); Tierra Diatomeas®: silicon dioxide (Si); Re-Leaf®: salicylic acid (SA) and the control (water). All products had a positive effect on the accumulation of total dry matter (DM) (between 58.4 and 21.9%) and on the photosynthetic activity (a maximum of 110 and 24.3% in first and second evaluation), as compared to the control, while no differences were found (P>0.05) for the foliar emission rate and chlorophyll content between the treatments. The plants treated with Bs had the greatest DM accumulation at the end of the study and a constant, high photosynthetic activity. All the while Bs, Ba and Si managed to stimulate greater early photosynthetic activity. According to the results, the use of these biostimulants during the vegetative phase had an effect on the physiological processes that enhance DM accumulation in plantain plants, which could be potentially useful for the transplanting stage and increase the reserves used during their establishment and development in the field.

Keywords : photoassimilate distribution; 'Hartón' plantain; plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR); Bacillus; silicon; salicylic acid.

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