Use of plant densities and a microbial consortium for sustainable sunflower production
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/f9zbrr64Keywords:
biostimulants, sowing density, Helianthus annuus, benefic microorganisms, yieldAbstract
Introduction. The use of microbial consortia (CM) combined with adequate plant densities (DP) can be a viable and friendly alternative to increase sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) sustainable production. Objective. To determine the individual and combined effects of microbial consortia and plant densities on sunflower growth and yield under water-deficit conditions. Materials and methods. An experiment was carried out under field conditions distributed in split-plots, in a randomized block design with three replications. The main plots were two DP (20,000 and 40,000 plants ha-1) and the secondary plots were three concentrations of the CM (0, 100, and 200 mL m-2). Results. Results showed that individually DP and CM directly influenced sunflower growth and yield The DP of 40,000 plants ha-1 favored plant height, leaf area index, percent of full seeds, seed mass per head, and yield. The DP of 20,000 plants/ha influenced leaf area, chlorophyll content, head diameter, and total and full seed per head. Additionally, the concentrations of 100 mL m-2 of CM stimulated plant growth and yield in both densities compared to the treatments without CM and with 200 mL m-2 of CM. Conclusions. The findings of this study indicate that the combination of a density of 40,000 plants/ha and inoculation with 100 mL m-2 of CM could be considered a local, viable, important and friendly strategy to increase sustainable sunflower production under low rainfall conditions.
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