BIOESTIMULANTES FAVORECEM O CULTIVO DE BERINJELEIRA E JILOEIRO?

Abstract

The vegetables Solanum melongena L. (eggplant) and Solanum gilo L. (scarlet eggplant) belong to the Solanaceae family and have agronomic and nutritional relevance due to their composition rich in bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, phenols, and glycoalkaloids, in addition to presenting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The initial development stage of these crops, especially seedling formation, is crucial for fruit productivity and final quality, being influenced by the adoption of technologies such as the use of biostimulants. These inputs, classified as special fertilizers, do not act as direct sources of nutrients but modulate physiological processes, enhancing absorption, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and promoting more vigorous initial establishment. The general objective of this study was to evaluate the application of biostimulants on the initial vegetative development of S. melongena and S. gilo, as well as on the reproductive cycle of eggplant, aiming to obtain high-quality seedlings. The specific objectives included analyzing the impact of biostimulant formulations on early plant growth; identifying the influence of nutritional management on the quality of seedlings produced; and verifying the physiological impact of biostimulant application on eggplant and scarlet eggplant under different nutritional managements. The work was carried out in a protected environment at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology – Campus Cristalina. The experimental design was randomized blocks (RBD), with 5 treatments and 4 replications, totaling 20 plots, with 24 plants per plot. Evaluations were conducted on 6 central plants of each treatment. Treatments consisted of applying different biostimulants, all used at recommended doses for Solanaceae crops. The treatments were: T1 – Acorda Ultra®; T2 – Bioenergy®; T3 – Bioamino Extra®; T4 – Stimulate®; and T5 – Control, without application. For sowing, seeds of the cultivars long purple eggplant and long light-green scarlet eggplant from the company TopSeed® were used. The commercial substrate was Carolina Soil®, composed of sphagnum peat, vermiculite, limestone, and traces of NPK, distributed in 128-cell polystyrene trays. Biostimulants showed little effect on scarlet eggplant and eggplant when considering all evaluated variables. The experiment was challenging due to pest and disease pressure, in which applications did not increase plant resistance. The seedling study demonstrated that, for eggplant, Acorda Ultra® provided greater fresh and dry mass development of the aerial part, increasing vigor and quality. For scarlet eggplant, however, no significant differences were observed between the control and the biostimulants. In the reproductive phase, Acorda Ultra® stood out in the number of leaves and flower buds, suggesting a positive impact on vegetative and reproductive development of eggplant. However, results from the first harvest showed that biostimulants were not effective in fruit morphological traits. Thus, it is concluded that, at the tested doses, the products did not promote consistent improvements in morphological and reproductive development of eggplant and scarlet eggplant.