Substrato e bio produto com Bacillus spp. no desenvolvimento de microverdes de alface

Abstract

Microgreens or "microgreens" are young and small vegetables harvested up to twenty-one days after sowing, which have become popular due to the demand for healthy and nutritious foods. With vibrant colors, rich flavors, and crisp textures, they offer nutritional benefits and promote health, becoming an option to diversify urban food systems and increase social resilience to climate change. Lettuce, specifically the American variety, is an example of a suitable plant for this type of cultivation, and the use of growth-promoting substrates and bacteria has proven to be a sustainable alternative to improve food production and quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different substrates and the application of biocompost (biological product) to achieve high microgreen yields. The research methodology used five types of substrates to grow microgreens: phenolic foam, carolina soil, vermiculite, alternative babaçu substrate, and a mixture of carolina soil with babaçu substrate. Tests were conducted with and without the use of the biological product Bio Compost, containing Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis. The seeds were sown in containers and exposed to RGB light to promote growth. After 14 days, the number of commercial plants, germination, length, and fresh and dry mass of the plants were evaluated. Among the studied substrates, carolina soil provided the best microgreen development, and regarding the application of biofertilizer based on Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis, it promoted better aerial growth regardless of the substrate used. In conclusion, this work shows that the use of the Carolina Soil substrate and the application of biofertilizer based on Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis can achieve higher commercial microgreen yields.