FOSFONATO DE POTÁSSIO E SILICATO DE POTÁSSIO NO MANEJO DO ENFEZAMENTO EM MILHO DOCE (Zea mays var. saccharata)

Abstract

In Brazil, the cultivation of sweet corn, of the genus Zea, is considered a vegetable focused on industrial processing and the characteristics required by the industries are cultivars with higher sugar content and lower starch content, in addition to maturation, size and shape of uniform ears. The stunts transmitted by the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) have been causing limiting factors in productivity and, consequently, in the ear and grains quality. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the potential of formulations considered to be high technology, under field conditions, in reducing the corn stunt of sweet corn. The design used was randomized complete blocks (DBC), with 4 replications. The treatments consisted of formulations based on potassium phosphonate and potassium silicate with their combinations a control treatment, positioned in three application times (V3, V6 and V3 + V6). The characteristics evaluated were: plant height and ear insertion height, stem diameter, productivity and symptoms in ears such as dry ears or with poor grain formation. It is concluded with the present study that the potassium silicate application in V3 provided an increase in productivity and reduction of symptoms in the ears, as well as the potassium phosphonate applied sequentially provided a reduction of symptoms in the ears.

KEY WORDS: Zea mays L.; resistance induction; silicate; phosphonate.