Agronomic characteristics and yield of corn after inoculation with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

Abstract

Corn is one of the most important crops in Brazil and, due to its physiological characteristics, it has a high productive potential and high nutritional quality, for animal and human nutrition. Therefore, this work sought to evaluate Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42 on agronomic characteristics and yield of corn crop. A randomized block design was used, with six doses of B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. Plantarum FZB42 (0.0; 2.5; 5.0; 7.5; 10.0, and 12.5 mL kg-1 seeds) and four repetitions, totaling 24 experimental units. The study was conducted in the experimental area of annual crops of the Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sul de Minas Gerais (Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the South of Minas Gerais — IFSULDEMINAS), Muzambinho Campus, in the 2017/18 agricultural year. The agronomic evaluations were: plant height, upper ear insertion height, culm diameter, leaf nitrogen content, forage fresh mass, incidence of Fusarium in the ear, number of rows per ear, number of grains per row, mass of 1000 grains, and yield. The nutritional evaluations performed were: crude protein, ash, ether extract, crude fiber, fiber in acid detergent, and fiber in neutral detergent. In summary, the inoculation of B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. Plantarum FZB42 in corn seeds, regardless of the dose applied, did not interfere with the agronomic characteristics and nutritional quality of corn silage.