USO DE RIZOBACTÉRIAS PARA O CONTROLE DA PODRIDÃO-MOLE E CANELA-PRETA EM BATATA (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) stands out among the world’s major food crops due to its economic and nutritional importance. However, its productivity and commercial quality may be compromised by bacterial diseases, especially soft rot and blackleg, caused by bacteria of the genera Pectobacterium spp. and Dickeya spp. In this context, the use of rhizobacteria represents a promising alternative for the biological management of these diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of rhobacteria isolated from Cerrado areas in the control of soft rot and blackleg in potato crops. The experiment was conducted under field conditions, using central pivot irrigation, at Wehrmann Farm, located in Cristalina, Goiás, Brazil. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with five treatments and six replications, totaling 30 experimental plots. The treatments consisted of: untreated control, application of bacterial isolates LFB1, LFB7 E LFB11, and application of the commercial product Certano. The bacteria used belong to the culture collection of the Laboratory of Phytopathology and Agricultural Microbiology of the Federal Goiano Institute and were previously evaluated in vitro against Pectobacterium spp. and Dickeya spp. Bacterial suspensions were standardized at a concentration of 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹ and applied by spraying onto seed tubers at planting. Blackleg severity, soft rot incidence, number of stems per plant, commercial classification, and tuber yield were evaluated. Data were subjected to analysis of variance, and treatment means were compared using Tukey’s test at 5% probability. No statistically significant differences were observed among treatments for the evaluated variables. However, relevant numerical variations were observed: treatment with LFB 1 showed lower blackleg severity and lower soft rot incidence, whereas treatment with LFB11 presented a higher number of stems and greater average tuber yield. It was concluded that, although the treatments did not differ statistically, the evaluated bacterial isolates showed promising potential for further studies focused on the biological management of bacterial diseases and growth promotion in potato crop Keywords: biological control; phytobacteria; phytosanitary management; tubers;