ABSTRACT
Pseudomonas sp. and rooting agents: A sustainable alternative for fig (Ficus carica L.) production

Yoni Gudiel Gabriel-Morales1, Rosalinda Mendoza-Villarreal1*, Valentín Robledo-Torres1, Armando Hernández-Pérez1, and Isaac Guajardo-Paz1
 
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have proven to be a sustainable alternative for improving agricultural establishment and production. This is particularly important for the propagation and production of fig trees (Ficus carica L.), a crop that stands out for the high nutritional value, fiber content, and bioactive compounds of its fruit. This study evaluated the effect of Pseudomonas sp. and a commercial rooting agent on the productive and biochemical variables of ‘Black Mission’ fig trees in a greenhouse. Before transplanting the fig cuttings, 1×108 colony-forming units mL-1 Pseudomonas sp., commercial rooting agent (indole-3-butyric acid [IBA]), a combination of both, and a control were applied; the crop was managed in polyethylene bags, increasing their volume from 3 to 30 L. Subsequently, Pseudomonas sp. was applied at the same dose each month to plants previously treated with this rhizobacteria. With the combination of Pseudomonas sp. and IBA, there was a higher bacterial concentration in the rhizosphere (61.4%), an increase in the number of fruits (5.2%), yield (67.8%), total soluble solids (6.6%), and P concentration in leaves (14.6%) compared to the control. The individual application of Pseudomonas sp. increased fruit weight (13.4%), as well as polar (7.9%) and equatorial (6.4%) diameters compared to the control. However, the control had the highest anthocyanin levels compared to the other treatments (29.3%). Pseudomonas sp., alone or in combination with the rooting agent, is a sustainable option for improving fig production and quality.
Keywords: Biostimulants, fig tree, indole-3-butyric acid, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, roots.
1Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Departamento de Horticultura, 25315, Saltillo, Coahuila, México.
*Corresponding author (rosalinda.mendoza@uaaan.edu.mx).