EFEITO DE BIOINSUMOS NA EMERGÊNCIA E CRESCIMENTO INICIAL DE ESPÉCIES NATIVAS DO CERRADO E SOJA

Abstract

The Brazilian Cerrado (Savanna), recognized as one of the world’s major biodiversity hotspots, is facing increasing pressures due to deforestation, intensive agricultural expansion, and the indiscriminate use of chemical inputs. In this context, the search for sustainable alternatives in agriculture has become urgent; the microbial bioinputs are emerging as a promising strategy, promoting productivity, environmental conservation, and reducing negative impacts on ecosystems. This paper investigated the effects of inoculating four bacterial isolates, Priestia aryabhattai, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Bacillus pumilus, on the germination and early development of three plant species of ecological and economic relevance, namely Dipteryx alata (baru), Pterodon emarginatus (sucupira), and Glycine max (soybean). The experiments were carried out under controlled greenhouse conditions at the Goiano Federal Institute, Ceres Campus, Goiás State, Brazil, . A completely randomized design was adopted, with five treatments (four inoculants and one control) and ten replicates of ten seeds each one, totaling one hundred seeds per treatment. The emergence rate, plant height, number of leaves and leaflets, root length, shoot length, root volume, root dry mass, shoot dry mass, and stem diameter variables were evaluated. Data were analyzed applying the Shapiro-Wilk normality test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Tukey’s test at 5% significance level. The B. pumilus and B. amyloliquefaciens bacteria promoted increases in root dry mass in baru, while P. aryabhattai significantly increased root length in this species. Inoculating P. aryabhattai in sucupira led to substantially greater increases in root volume, root length, plant height, and stem diameter than the other treatments. Additionally, stem diameter was significantly higher when inoculated with B. subtilis. Soybean showed an increase in root length with P. aryabhattai inoculation and an increase in the number of leaves with B. subtilis inoculation. Stem diameter in soybean was higher in all bacterial inoculation treatments compared to the control. The highest emergence rates in. native species were achieved with B. subtilis inoculation, while the highest rate in soybean was observed with P. aryabhattai. Although responses varied according to plant species and microorganism type, P. aryabhattai stood out by promoting increases in all tested plant species, and sucupira showed the greatest response to this bacterium. These results indicate that the association between plants and biological inputs is a promising strategy for enhancing the early growth of agricultural crops and native species in the Brazilian Cerrado, which may contribute to more sustainable agricultural practices. Beyond scientific advancement, this paper also highlights the value of Brazilian Cerrado sociobiodiversity by exploring native species that remain poorly studied, yet are essential for ecosystem conservation and for supporting income generation in local communities.