Diazotrophic bacteria and nitrogen fertilization on the growth of micropropagated pineapple plantlets during acclimatization

ABSTRACT: This study examines the effect of inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria and nitrogen fertilization on the growth of micropropagated pineapple cv. 'Vitória' plantlets during the acclimatization period. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse in Campos dos Goytacazes, in randomized blocks, using a 2x5x5 factorial scheme, with the factors being two types of inocula (absence or presence of a mixture of diazotrophic bacteria that contained Burkholderia sp. UENF 114111, Burkholderia silvatlantica UENF 11711, and Herbaspirillum seropedicae HRC 54), five levels of urea (0, 2, 5, 7, and 10g L-1), and five evaluation periods (30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 days following the planting of plantlets in trays), and with four replications of each treatment. An increase in the dried weight of shoots and roots of micropropagated pineapple cv. 'Vitória' plants depended on inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria, and plantlets acclimatization could be reduced by up to 57 days, depending on the concentration of urea fertilizer