The Effects of a Biofertilizer Containing Growth-Promoting Bacteria on the Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)
Victor Hugo de Farias Guedes *
Department of Soils and Fertilizers, São Paulo State University, 14884-900, Jaboticabal, Brazil
Diego Moura de Andrade Oliveira
Laboratory of Soil Physics, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, 52171-900, Recife, Brazil
Renato Lemos do Santos
Laboratory of Soil, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pernambuco, 55600-000, Vitória de Santo Antão, Brazil
Geíza Alves Azerêdo de Oliveira
Laboratory of Food Microbiology, University Federal of Paraíba, 58051-900, Bananeiras, Paraíba, Brazil
Fernando Luiz Nunes de Oliveira
Laboratory of Soil, University Federal of Paraíba, 58051-900, Bananeiras, Paraíba, Brazil
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The use of organic fertilisers in vegetable cultivation is important in the pursuit of increased production to improve the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil, to promote plant growth, and to achieve economically viable productivity for farmers of small- and medium-sized farms. This study aimed to evaluate the development and productivity of eggplant after its fertilisation with a biofertiliser that was composed of sugar and alcohol waste and a bacteria growth promoter for plants. The Ciça genotype of eggplant plants werewas distributed in 20 pots with a capacity of 10 L for each pot. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomised design with four treatments and five repetitions. The following treatments were analysed: control (without any fertiliser), chemical fertiliser (NPK), manure and biofertiliser. The analysed parameters included height, stem diameter, weight and number of fruit. The treatments that received some type of fertiliser (chemical or organic) showed higher plant height, and the 'bio-fertiliser' treatment showed better results than the remaining treatments for all parameters. The results for growth in height, stem diameter and number of fruit demonstrated that eggplant adequately responded to fertilisation with biofertiliser in the experimental conditions and about the assessed conventional fertilisers.
Keywords: Biofertiliser, NPK, PGPR, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Solanum melongena