Title: Use of three doses of VIUSID AGRO on tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivation in the Sancti Spíritus province of Cuba

Transcription

1 UNIVERSIDAD DE SANCTI SPÍRITUS José Martí Pérez Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Agronomy Department Title: Use of three doses of VIUSID AGRO on tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivation in the Sancti Spíritus province of Cuba Author: MSc Eng. Jorge F Meléndrez Rodríguez

2 Introduction Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), a plant native to South America, is annually cultivated and sown in many different places all over the world (Shew and Lucas, 1991). In Cuba, it holds fundamental economic importance in exportation, which means it requires priority attention, not only to attain high profits, but also to maintain the exquisite quality and fame that has set it apart the world over, and because it represents one of the most important sources of revenue in foreign currency for the country (Espino, 1996) According to Espino and Torrecilla (1999), in addition to others, the most cultivated varieties in Cuba are: Habana 92 and Sancti Spiritus 96 (SS-96), especially for the sun grown dark tobacco. The quality of the leaf is an element that depends on many factors. Many cultivation techniques in this regard as per the sought-after purpose have been developed. Playing an important role in the aforementioned is the plant's nutrition and its growth. As such, employing a well-conceived strategy in using chemical fertilisers and insecticides has been a constant in cultivation, giving way to a tradition for producers that makes Cuban tobacco a singular production the world over, represented by ten denominations of origin for raw tobacco. Using chemical fertilisers in agriculture brings collateral problems, such as environmental contamination and detriments to human health. In this sense, several biofertilisers have been used, capable of mineralising nutrients in the soil in forms that cannot be assimilated by the plant. Notwithstanding, using microorganisms both for biological control and for promoting vegetable growth requires long periods of time to demonstrate their action. Many times, they lose their biological activity and create a negative impact by releasing microorganisms into the environment, thereby creating an ecological imbalance. The prevailing need to search for methods that improve efficiency in using mineral fertilisers and the boom brought about by the implementation of less and less aggressive technologies for the ecosystem and natural resources have

3 given a new life and a notable impulse to the idea of using biofertilisers produced with mycorrhizal fungi and plant stimulators, such as FitoMas-E. FitoMas-E is a plant stimulant, obtained as a derivative from the Cuban sugar industry. It is produced based on high-energy biochemical substances from higher plant forms, principally amino acids, nitrogenised bases, saccharides and bioactive polysaccharides, which may be applied directly to the plant's leaf area, as well as to fertigation systems during any phonological phase of a cultivation, regardless of the part of the plant that is of economic interest in harvest. Notwithstanding, there is little background in Cuba on the effect produced by FitoMas-E on Montano tobacco cultivation (2007). This product was applied in the field as a promoter of vegetable growth with several cultivations and in biotechnological techniques for in vitro cultivation. Borges et al. (2005) studied the effects of FitoMas-E on tobacco, when added to the conventional technological framework designed for this cultivation. Other substances are used in the cultivation's foliar fertilisation, such as in the case of Bayfolan Forte, an efficient nutritional complement for plants, characterised by its high capacity to penetrate the vegetable cell. Zamora (2010) obtained excellent results when evaluating different doses of Bayfolan Forte in capsicum cultivation, with a final result of an increase in size and in number of fruits. The use of stimulants is gradually increasing in national agriculture, to the point where, as of now, they are frequently applied and are almost mandatory for many economically important cultivations (Cassanga, 2000). Japanese scientists' discovery of gibberellins laid the foundation to produce formulations whose content stimulates several of the plant's physiological processes, such as growth, blooming, fruition and others. Research carried out on VIUSID AGRO in other countries has proven the product's efficacy in increasing productivity. In this sense, in Honduras (Coello 2010) it was applied to several different cultivations with different doses, showing hopeful results, just as occurred in Spain with cultivations such as aubergine, strawberry, watermelon and grape. Within the sustainable agriculture strategy, the development of alternatives to excessive use of chemical products is being considered more and more. Taking

4 the aforementioned into account, this experiment is carried out to resolve the following problem. Scientific problem: How to improve the behaviour of the morpho-agronomic parameters of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivation by using VIUSID AGRO, Bayfolan Forte and FitoMas-E. Hypothesis: If VIUSID AGRO, Bayfolan Forte and FitoMas-E are used in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivation, then the influence they hold over tobacco's morpho-agronomic parameters may be determined. General objective To determine the behaviour of the morpho-agronomic parameters of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivation in using VIUSID AGRO, Bayfolan Forte and FitoMas-E. Specific objectives To evaluate the behaviour of the morpho-agronomic parameters of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivation in using VIUSID AGRO, Bayfolan Forte and FitoMas-E. To determine the treatment that behaves best regarding tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cultivation's morpho-agronomic parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experiment location This task was carried out at a private producer's farm belonging to the CCSF: El Vaquerito, in the Taguasco municipality (located to the north of the town Zaza del Medio and adjoining farms belonging to other producers from said entity). The experiment was performed during the campaign, on siliceous brown soil, as per Hernández et al. (1999), using the Habana-92 tobacco variety, which was transplanted the 2 December, Tasks performed The soil was prepared traditionally by tilling, harrowing and ploughing, successively. Fertilisation was carried out as indicated in the Guide for Tobacco

5 Cultivation MINAGRI (2012). The stem was covered between 8 and 10 days after transplanting, acting as a control for undesirable plants. Next, the soil was earthed up between days 20 and 22. Irrigation guaranteed moisture to the planting, reaching a total of three with a 15-day interval. The apical bud was eliminated between 40 and 48 days of age after planting, as per the producer's criteria and experience. From a plant protection perspective, the insecticides shown in table 1 were applied. Table 1. Plant protection treatments INSECTICIDE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS DOSE PLAGUE CONTROLLED Cypermethrin + methyl parathion Duple B Mixture ( ) 2 20 kg CP/ha Heliothis virescens Acephate Acephan PS 75) 1 1 kg/ha Heliothis virescens Spatial arrangement of treatments The experiment was set up under production conditions, taking four experimental swathes, each one of them corresponding to each treatment to be evaluated. These swathes were composed of five furrows of 90 plants each, evaluations being made in the central furrow, randomly selecting 15 plants per treatment, taking five plants at the beginning part of the furrow, five plants in the middle part, and five plants at the end part. The first ten and the last ten plants were discarded. Treatments evaluated For the experiment, experimental parcels were used for each treatment, with a total number of plants per treatment of 450, using a 0.80 m x 0.30 m planting frame. The evaluated treatments are shown in table 2.

6 Table 2. Treatments evaluated TREATMENTS DOSE A. VIUSID AGRO 1 ml/5 L of water A. Bayfolan Forte 1.5 L/ha A. FitoMas-E 1.5 L/ha A. Production control Untreated The treatment applications to be evaluated were carried out fourteen days after the transplant, using a manual Matabi sprinkler with a 16 litre capacity, at weekly intervals, as per manufacturer recommendations. In the case of treatment A, four applications in total were carried out. In the case of treatments B and C, two applications were carried out. No more treatment applications were made as per the producer's suggestion, who deemed the plants of good size. Evaluations performed Two evaluations were performed during the cultivation cycle: the first, 43 days after transplantation, and the second, when the planting was 68 days old (coinciding with the time of cutting). In both cases, the plant's height was measured, the total number of leaves, the stalk's diameter and the length and width of the two central leaves. For these two parameters, the average was determined for statistical processing. Statistical processing In processing data, the Windows SPSS statistical package was used. Applying the Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test, the variance homogeneity test was carried out, from whence the evaluations that showed homogeneity underwent an Anova and the Duncan test with a 0.05 significance level. For the evaluations not showing homogeneity, the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was applied, and those that showed significant differences underwent the

7 Mann-Whitney test to determine between which treatments significant differences existed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Analysis of the first evaluation As observed in table 3, the plant's height and the total number of leaves have a similar statistical behaviour, with treatments B and C exhibiting the best results without any significant differences. They do show significant statistical differences with treatments A and D, which in turn do not significantly differ from each other. Table 3. Plant height behaviour Treatments Plant height (m) Total leaves VIUSID AGRO 0.60b 15.46b Bayfolan Forte 0.78 a a FitoMas-E 0.76 a a Control 0.53 b b Legend: Different letters differ for a 0.05 level. The values correspond to the average. We attribute these results to the characteristics of treatments B and C, which are considered as nutritional complements with foliar action, stimulating plant growth and leaf formation. In the case of VIUSID AGRO, it must be applied weekly over the course of the cultivation cycle as per the manufacturer to achieve good results. In this case, we are with the first evaluation, a moment up until which 3 applications of the product had been carried out. Treatment D is a production control, so it was attended to in the same fashion as the rest of the treatments, including fertilisation. This highlights the good effect of treatments B and C even more. In table 4, we observe the result that treatments A, B and C have the same behaviour without any significant differences. In turn, they differ from treatment D. These results allow us to posit that treatments A, B and C encourage the cultivation's development, causing a significant increase in this parameter.

8 Table 4. Stalk diameter behaviour Treatments Stalk diameter (m) VIUSID AGRO 0.018a Bayfolan Forte a FitoMas-E a Control b Legend: Different letters differ for a 0.05 level. The values correspond to the average. In the same fashion, we attribute these results to the previous statement. In the case of this parameter, treatment A stands out from the other treatments as the best-behaved. In table 5, we can observe that the leaf's length and width have the same statistical behaviour; treatment B exhibiting the best results, and significantly differing from the other treatments. Treatments A and C do not exhibit significant differences between each other, but they do differ from the control. Table 5. Leaf length behaviour Treatments Leaf length (m) Leaf width (m) VIUSID AGRO 0.42b 0.25b Bayfolan Forte 0.45 a 0.27 a FitoMas-E 0.42 b 0.24 b Control 0.38 c 0.22 c Legend: Different letters differ for a 0.05 level. The values correspond to the average. Generally speaking, A, B and C exhibit better results than the control, showing their efficacy as a growth stimulant for all evaluated parameters. Analysis of the second evaluation In table 6, we see the result of statistical processing of the elements evaluated at the end of the cultivation cycle. We observe that all of the parameters have a statistically similar behaviour.

9 Table 6. Behaviour of the evaluated parameters Treatments Height of the plant (m) Diameter of the stalk (m) Total leaves Length of the leaf (m) Width of the leaf (m) VIUSID AGRO 1.09a 0.020a 17.33a 0.52a 0.25a Bayfolan Forte 1.08 a a a 0.51 a 0.27 a FitoMas-E 1.07 a a a 0.50 a 0.24 a Control 0.63 b b b 0.40 b 0.22 b Legend: Different letters differ for a 0.05 level. The values correspond to the average. Treatments A, B and C do not exhibit significant differences amongst one another, but they do differ from treatment D. We attribute these results to the positive effect of the evaluated treatments on plant growth. This is emphasised in this evaluation in coinciding with the final cultivation phase, up until which time the greatest number of treatment applications had been carried out. It is to be noted that applications were suspended in this period at the producer's suggestion, as they deemed the plants to be of sufficient size. The evaluated treatments show excellent results, significantly exceeding the control's behaviour, which was a production control benefitting from all of the attention described in previous sections. Conclusions The VIUSID AGRO, Bayfolan Forte and FitoMas-E treatments improve the tobacco plantation's morpho-agronomic parameters, exceeding the production control. The treatment with VIUSID AGRO exhibits its best effect as of the fourth application. Recommendations Use the treatments evaluated in tobacco plantations as posited in this work. In following experiments, evaluate the curing, storing and benefit phases of tobacco.