Use of Seaweed-Based Biostimulants in the Production of Seedlings of Pomegranates (Punica granatum)

Abstract

In the Brazil, the cultivation of pomegranate aroused interest in several producers of fruit, especially in the northeast. The objective of this study was to test the efficiency of the best dose of the extract of seaweed in the development of pomegranate trees seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Federal Rural University of Semi-Arid (UFERSA), Mossoro, RN. In the experiment, was used a randomized complete block design (RBD) with five doses (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 ml L -1 ) of the seaweed extract and six replications; each experimental unit was composed of five plants. The application of bio-stimulant doses were started at 7 days after transplanting, and the extract applied in seven-day intervals with a syringe, pouring 15 ml of solution near the base of each plant until the end of the experiment. At 120 days after sowing the characteristics were evaluated: shoot length, root and total (cm); number of sheets (unit/plant), lap diameter (mm), dry mass of the stalk, the leaf, the shoot, root system and total (g). For further growth, dry biomass yield and better quality of pomegranate trees seedlings in nurseries, it was observed that the dose of 4.0 mL of biostimulants, promoted greater seedling growth.Due to the lack of data on the development and establishment of pomegranate culture in Brazil, there is a need for studies to domesticate a species such as the climatic conditions of the region.And to meet the new demands, it is necessary to expand the production area and, as such, to produce uniform and vigorous quality seedlings (PAIVA., et al. 2015). In this sense, a seedling propagation and acquisition phase is fundamental for the establishment of the crop in the field, since low substrate fertility and plant nutrition are some of the most limiting problems and can be corrected with the use of soil extraction. seaweed as a biostimulant [1].In Brazil, the use of seaweed in commercial crops, in general, is in full expansion requiring more accurate information regarding its proper use. These synthesize plant hormones and there are products based on macroalgae extracts, which are commercially used as biostimulants to increase agricultural production. As an example, we can mention commercial products based on Ascophyllum nodosum and Lithothamnium, which, due to their action similar to plant hormones, have been used for foliar or soil applications, including organic agriculture [2].