EFFECT OF APPLYING BIO-INPUTS ON PRODUCTION OF HIGH BUSH BLUEBERRY (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cv. biloxi IN BRAZIL'S FEDERAL DISTRICT

Abstract

Blueberry production is increasing in Brazil, and growers are turning to bio-inputs or biostimulants to be used on their growth. This has been due to the growing concern about sustainability in the food production chain and the necessity to increase the yield. The current experiment aimed at evaluating the effects of Samurai King, EM-1 and Brutal Plus (Minhofértil) biostimulants on the cultivation of Southern Highbush blueberries (V. corymbosum L.), cultivar 'Biloxi'. The parameters evaluated were plant height (cm), diameter of the main stem (mm), number of shoots, chlorophyll content, total number of leaves, leaf length and width. The total mass, number of fruits, average mass per fruit, the transversal and longitudinal diameters, and the total sugars (°Brix) were also measured. In 2020, the treatment of Samurai King + EM-1 showed the highest efficiency for the studied parameters related to fruits and yield but with no significant difference as compared to the other treatments. Regarding the plant growth, treatments 1 (Brutal Plus) and 5 (Brutal Plus + EM-1) were the most efficient. In 2021, treatment 7 (Brutal Plus + Samurai King + EM-1) had the highest yields, except for average mass per fruit and total sugars. In the two years of evaluation, although treatments obtained lower averages than the control, the effect observed was generally positive, revealing the efficiency of products containing microorganisms for the growth of blueberry plants. In conclusion, these bioproducts could remarkably affect plant biomass, production and fruit quality, resulting in better yields.