Amendments, plant growth-promoting microorganisms, and biostimulants on pecan tree yield

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.8208112615011

• Palavras-chave: Carya illinoienensis (Wangenh.) K Koch, ‘Western Schley’, growth regulators, amendments, yield t.ha-1 , number of nuts per kg, and percentage of edible kernel.

• Keywords: Carya illinoienensis (Wangenh.) K Koch, ‘Western Schley’, growth regulators, amendments, yield t.ha-1 , number of nuts per kg, and percentage of edible kernel.

• Abstract:

  The state of Chihuahua is the leading producer of walnuts, with a planted area of 87,657 hectares and a production of 105,767 tons, accounting for 85% of national production and generating an economic impact of 8.736 billion pesos. As walnut trees are a crop of great economic importance in the state, it is important to study all the nutritional aspects of this crop, where organic matter is one of the main characteristics of the soil, associated with the release of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur; with the availability of iron, manganese, copper, and zinc, due to its chelating action, and is a source of humic and fulvic acids. Biostimulants can increase nutrient absorption, improve resistance to disease and stress, and increase nut yield. In this sense, the right combination of organic amendments and biostimulants can have a positive impact on yield parameters. The work was carried out during the 2016-2018 growing season in Aldama, Chihuahua, at the Huerta el Edén orchard, on the 'Western Schley' variety, with 34-year-old trees. There were seven treatments, distributed in two applications based on the phenological stages of greatest demand: 1) beginning of fruit set and 2) Watery state; with four replicates: 1) Control, 2) Humus 231.88 kg, 3) Leachate 115.94 L, 4) Mycorrhizae 579.71 g, 5) Biocop B+A 289.86 mL, 6) Algaenzyms 289.86 mL, 7) Al Zinc 289.86 mL, in relation to all treatments, did not have a significant effect on nut weight (g) and number of nuts per (kg), nor on the nutritional content of N, P, Cu, and Zn; while Algaenzims  (T6) and Mycorrhizae (T4) showed a significant response in the percentage of almonds and in production t.ha-1respectively, Azospirillus (T5) for K, Ca, and Mn; AlZinc (T7) for Fe. This can be interpreted as a positive addition of nutrients in the treatment, satisfying requirements, as it offers a favorable margin of maneuver. Research has shown that the right combination of organic amendments, plant growth-promoting microorganisms, and biostimulants can have a positive impact on plant performance parameters.