Indutor de resistência e remineralizador de solo como promotores de crescimento, clorofilas e metabolismo antioxidante em café arábica

Abstract

Brazilian coffee farming faces growing challenges related to plant tolerance to environmental and biological stresses. The search for sustainable solutions that increase the resilience of coffee trees is fundamental to the development of the crop. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the growth, indices, and fluorescence of chlorophyll, as well as the antioxidant metabolism of Arabica coffee under the application of a resistance inducer and soil

remineralizer. A randomized block design was used, with four treatments: control (T1), Cos- OGA inducer (T2), remineralizer (T3), and inducer + remineralizer (T4), four replicates, six

plants per plot with four useful plants, totaling 96 plants. The Catucaí Amarelo 24/137 Arabica coffee variety was cultivated. The resistance inducer was applied via foliar spraying every 15 days for 3 months, while the remineralizer was applied in planting holes. In the first week of the experiment, plant growth analyses were performed, including plant height, stem diameter, crown diameter, and number of branches. Thirty days after the last application, the activities of the enzymes peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase were evaluated, in addition to the levels of chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll and chlorophyll fluorescence. Treatment with the isolated elicitor reduced plant growth. The remineralizer showed vegetative vigor similar to the control treatment, while the combination of the two products partially mitigated the elicitor's performance, promoting greater biochemical preparation without significantly compromising growth. Enzyme activity showed no differences between treatments. An increase in chlorophyll content and photochemical efficiency of photosystem II was observed, especially with the combined treatment, indicating greater photosynthetic efficiency and potential plant resistance. Thus, the association between elicitor and remineralizer shows promise for coffee plants, requiring careful evaluation by producers regarding the balance between growth and defense, according to the specific conditions of cultivation.