Cultivo de mirtileiro CV. emerald sob crescentes doses de bioestimulante no brejo paraibano

Abstract

Currently, blueberry cultivation in Brazil shows a high market potential and growth in production areas. The study of blueberry plant development in non-traditional regions certainly contributes to the expansion of national production. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the growth of Emerald blueberry plants under the application of the biostimulant Viusid Agro® in Areia, Paraíba. The experiment was conducted between November 2023 and April 2024 at Alecrim Dourado floriculture, located in Engenho Tapuio, a rural area in the municipality of Areia, Paraíba. The experimental design was a randomized block design, with treatments distributed across four blocks, each containing five plants per experimental unit. The treatments consisted of different doses of the biostimulant Viusid Agro®: T1 = no biostimulant application (control); T2 = 0.5 ml/3L; T3 = 1.0 ml/3L; and T4 = 2.0 ml/3L. During the first evaluation, the total number of shoots and the dry mass of the removed shoots were quantified. Pruning was then performed, leaving 20 shoots per plant. Evaluations were carried out every two weeks, starting 30 days after pruning, totaling eight assessments. The variables analyzed included: shoot/branch length, shoot/branch diameter, and the number of leaves. There was no significant difference among doses for the variables total number of shoots and dry mass of removed shoots, indicating that the application of Viusid Agro® at the tested doses did not influence shoot emission by the plants. It was observed that branch length and the number of leaves were significantly influenced by the factors of dose and time, while branch diameter was influenced only by time. The application of Viusid Agro® at a dose of 2.0 ml/3L increased the branch growth of Emerald blueberry plants. Lower concentrations of the biostimulant minimized the effects on branch growth and the number of leaves in Emerald blueberry plants.