Does Azospirillum brasilense and Stimulate® to improve the initial growth of wheat sown at greater depths?

Abstract

The sowing of the wheat crop is a delicate process given the reduced size of its seed. Errors in adjusting the depth of sowing of this crop may result in damage to the establishment and initial growth of the crop. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the relationship between inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense, Stimulate® treatment and sowing depth on emergence and initial growth of wheat plants. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four replications, in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme. The first factor consisted of the following treatments: i) seed inoculation with A. brasilense, ii) seed treatment with Stimulate®, iii) inoculation of seeds with A. brasilense associated with the treatment of seeds with Stimulate® and iv) without inoculation and seed treatment. The second factor was constituted by four sowing depths, being: 1.0; 3.0; 5.0 and 7.0 cm. The treatment of seeds with Stimulate® favors the higher accumulation of dry mass of stem in wheat plants when sown in greater depths. Seeding at greater depths up to 7.0 cm resulted in the delayed emergence of seedlings, a smaller number of tillers and less dry matter accumulation in wheat plants.