BIOSTIMULANTS AND BIORATIONAL INSECTICIDES IN THE CULTIVATION OF EGGPLANT IN PROTECTED CONDITIONS OF MACRO TUNNELS

Background. Microbial biostimulants in plants allow to improve nutrition and quality in crop fruits. Insecticides based on entomopathogenic fungi and state-of-the-art insecticides control pests in vegetables effectively. Objective. To evaluate three biostimulants and three biorational insecticides in eggplant cultivation under macrotunnel protected conditions. Methodology. The biostimulant treatments were: Genifix®, T22®, Mix® and control; for insecticides were: Movento®, Beauveria bassiana, Isaria javanica and control. They were evaluated in eggplant under macrotunnel conditions. Results. There was a significant effect of biostimulants on the increase in weight and dimensions of eggplant fruits, highlighting Genifix®, followed by T22® and Mix®. Movento® reduced more whiteflies compared to B. bassiana and I. javanica. Implications. The evaluated products can be applied in a biorational management of eggplant, reducing the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers and insecticides. Conclusions. The potential of the biostimulant Genifix®, T22® and Mix® to improve the development of eggplant fruits was demonstrated, as well as the insecticide Movento® to control the pest Bemisia tabaci in eggplant. The bioinsecticide B. bassiana can be used effectively in integrated management of whitefly in eggplant

Efecto de bioestimulantes microbianos en el tamaño y peso de frutos de chile morrón y jitomate en condiciones protegidas de macrotúnel

The intensive production of vegetables has caused excessive dependence on chemical fertilization, which has generated environmental and food safety problems. An option to reduce the amount of synthetic fertilizers is the management of nutrients through microbial inoculations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of two biostimulants based on Trichoderma spp. and one from Bacillus spp., on the diameter, length and weight of bell pepper and tomato fruits under macrotunnel conditions. The treatments were: Genifix®, T22®, Mix® and control (blank). A completely randomized block design with four repetitions was used. Three harvests were made per crop. The response variables were: weight, diameter and fruit length, in addition to the weight of 20 fruits chosen at random. The fruits obtained with the Genifix treatment were larger and heavier, with significant differences from the rest of the treatments. The T22 and Mix also showed a significant effect on the development of larger and heavier fruits in relation to the control in most harvests. The evaluated biostimulants improved the size and weight of bell pepper and tomato fruits in plants with minimal traditional fertilization management under macrotunnel conditions.La producción intensiva de vegetales ha provocado dependencia excesiva de la fertilización química, lo cual ha generado problemas ambientales y de inocuidad de los alimentos. Una opción para reducir la cantidad de fertilizantes sintéticos es el manejo de nutrientes mediante inoculaciones microbianas. El objetivo fue evaluar el efecto de dos bioestimulantes a base de Trichoderma spp. y uno de Bacillus spp. en el diámetro, longitud y peso de frutos de chile morrón y jitomate en condiciones de macrotúnel. Los tratamientos fueron: Genifix®, T22®, Mix® y testigo. Se utilizó un diseño experimental en bloques al azar con cuatro repeticiones. Se utilizaron tres cortes de frutos por cultivo. Las variables de respuesta fueron: peso, diámetro y longitud de fruto, además del peso de 20 frutos elegidos al azar. Los frutos obtenidos con el tratamiento Genifix® fueron de mayor tamaño y peso, con diferencias significativas al resto de los tratamientos. El T22 y Mix mostraron un efecto significativo con frutos más grandes y pesados en comparación a frutos testigo en la mayoría de los cortes. Los bioestimulantes evaluados mejoraron el tamaño y peso de frutos de chile morrón y jitomate en plantas con un manejo mínimo tradicional de fertilización en condiciones de macrotúnel