Adubação orgânica e bioestimulantes no desenvolvimento inicial da cultura do Mamoeiro Formosa CV. Bela Nova

Abstract

The papaya tree (Carica papaya L.) is one of the main tropical fruit crops grown in Brazil, standing out for its significant economic and social importance. The use of microorganisms as growth promoters in fruit crops, combined with organic residues, can enhance productivity and generate multiple benefits in organic production systems. In this study, the objective was to evaluate how different organic residues and biostimulants influence the initial development of the Formosa papaya cultivar Bela Nova. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, using four types of organic residues — cattle manure, sheep manure, poultry litter, and Organogreen, with 5 kg of one residue applied per planting hole — combined with three biostimulants: Bacillus subtilis at 10 mL per plant, Trichoderma harzianum at 20 mL per plant, and Chlorella sp. at 5 mL per plant. The following indicators were analyzed: plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, and chlorophyll index (SPAD), in addition to monitoring flowering and fruit set. Overall, the combination of organic residues and biostimulants resulted in expressive gains in plant vigor and growth. The best height results were obtained with cattle manure (78 cm), sheep manure (75 cm), and Organogreen (77.24 cm), while poultry litter showed the lowest performance (68 cm). Among the biostimulants, Chlorella sp. (82 cm) and Trichoderma (76 cm) promoted the greatest increases in height. The number of leaves was higher in treatments with cattle manure (28 leaves) and Organogreen (27 leaves), while stem diameter was greater with the use of sheep manure (3.8 cm). The SPAD index, which indicates chlorophyll content, was highest in treatments with cattle manure (48) and Organogreen (47), and with the Chlorella sp. biostimulant (49). Furthermore, this practice promotes the rational use of natural resources and contributes to a more balanced and environmentally responsible agriculture.