Fenotipagem de alta eficiência em plantas de arroz tratadas com bioestimulantes

Abstract

Rice is one of the most important cereals globally, representing the primary food source for a significant portion of the world's population. However, the productivity of this crop is often limited by pests, diseases, and stresses (both biotic and abiotic), requiring the development of innovative strategies to ensure greater sustainability and efficiency in cropping systems. In this context, biostimulants emerge as a promising tool, as they can promote plant growth and development, improve resource efficiency, and increase plant resilience to adverse conditions. Among the biostimulants, the essential oils of Eucalyptus citriodora and Eucalyptus globulus stand out, receiving increasing research attention due to their bactericidal, insecticidal, and fungicidal properties, in addition to their biostimulant effect. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of applying eucalyptus essential oil at different concentrations in the aerial part and root of rice through image analysis. The experiment was conducted at the Plant Science Laboratory of the Agricultural Sciences and Engineering Campus of the Federal University of Alagoas, Rio Largo, AL, Brazil. A completely randomized experimental design (CRD) was used, with four replicates of 50 seeds and five treatments, totaling 20 experimental plots for each oil. Rice seeds of the BRS A502 cultivar were used, and essential oil concentrations were obtained using a 1:1 ratio of polysorbate to each essential oil. The research was structured around an experimental study, and emergence was analyzed through image analysis. The results indicated that the biostimulant promoted positive changes in seedling development. The conclusion is that the combination of cultivars BRS A502 and eucalyptus essential oils represents a significant advance for modern agriculture, enabling the identification of rapid and consistent physiological responses in rice plants. High-efficiency phenotyping based on image analysis is a promising tool for studies with plant biostimulants, allowing for precise and non-destructive evaluation of plant physiological responses. In the case of rice, this methodology enables detailed monitoring of the effects of eucalyptus essential oil on seedling emergence, vigor, and initial growth, overcoming the limitations of traditional visual assessments. Thus, the application of this approach contributes to generating more robust and objective data, favoring the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices based on scientific evidence.