Effect of substrates and plant growth promoting bacteria in the germination of sugarcane seeds

Abstract

The aim of this work was to test different substrates with Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) inoculation on sugarcane seed germination. The substrates were sand, vermiculite and Plantmax®. The completely randomized factorial design 2x3, with 4 repetitions was used. The parameters estimated were speed of germination index, days for emergence, and 30 days after sowing the parameters: height of seedlings (cm), volume of roots (cm³), length of roots (cm), and the number of germinated plants. The application of PGPB promoted better development of seedlings, mainly roots. The Plantmax® presented the better conditions for germination and seedling development. Vermiculite had the worst results. No response to PGPB was observed in the sand. The use of Plantmax® and PGPB in germination of sugarcane seeds is recommended.