Uso de Bacillus aryabhattai no cafeeiro como estratégia de mitigação dos efeitos do déficit hídrico

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of Bacillus aryabhattai in coffee as a strategy to mitigate the impacts of water deficit. The study was carried out in a greenhouse, located in the Coffee Growing Sector of the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), in the city of Lavras – MG, in the South Region of Minas, from March 2024 to August 2024. The factors under study were arranged in a 5x4 factorial scheme with four replications, totaling 20 treatments and 80 experimental units. The treatments consisted of the combination of the levels of the two factors under study, one of them being the doses of inoculant based on Bacillus aryabhattai (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 ml.L-1) and the other factor composed of four levels of water deficit (0, 25, 50 and 75%) Morphological, physiological, biochemical and anatomical characteristics were evaluated. The levels of water deficit affected the growth, dry mass, water potential and stomatal conductance of the plants. Bacillus aryabhattai influenced the activity of antioxidant enzymes and anatomical characteristics, while the chlorophyll a (ClA), b (ClB) and total (ClT) indices were not impacted. It was concluded that the water deficit compromised the growth and metabolism of coffee plants, affecting morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters. Inoculation with Bacillus aryabhattai promoted anatomical changes and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes, suggesting a protective mechanism against water stress.