Nano óxido de zinco e bioinoculantes como atenuantes do déficit hídrico na cultura da berinjela.

Abstract

Olericulture is an important economic activity in the sertão of Paraíba, which, due to its characteristics, generates employment and income in the region. One of the difficulties faced by vegetable growers in this region is the lack of water and the lack of adoption of new production technologies. This project aims to investigate the influence of nanoparticles containing the micronutrient zinc, associated or not with plant growth-promoting bacteria on the growth and production of eggplant subjected to water stress. The experiment was installed in subdivided plots in space, where the plots will comprise two irrigation depths (50% and 100% of the potential evapotranspiration -Eto) and the subplots by five treatments composed by the combination of zinc oxide nanoparticles (NZnO) and/or Plant growth promoting bacteria (BPCP) containing beneficial bacteria (C = control, T1 = ZnSO4 via foliar, T2 = NPZnO via foliar, T3 = NPZnO via foliar + BPCP, T4 = ZnSO4 via soil + BPCP), with four blocks. Horticulture is an important economic activity in the sertão of Paraíba. Growth in height and diameter of the stem, leaf area index, total fruit production, production of commercial fruits and non-commercial fruits were evaluated. Eggplant growth in height and diameter was little affected by water deficit and treatments containing zinc sulfate, nano zinc oxides (NPZnO) and plant growth promoting bacteria (BPCP). The water deficit, on average, reduced the leaf area index by 23%, the total fruit production by 14% and the commercial fruit production by 28%. Treatments T3 (NPZnO via foliar + BPCP) and T4 (ZnSO4 via soil + BPCP) increased fruit production by about 93% when plants were grown without water restriction. Treatments containing zinc sulfate, NPZnO and BPCP did not attenuate the water deficit imposed on eggplant.