Impact of applying the biostimulant Seed+ on initial growth of peanut cultivars

The use of biostimulants in agriculture has been shown to be suitable for stimulating the initial development of several crops; however, reports on its impact on peanut cultivation are scarce. A study was conducted to investigate the effect of application doses of the biostimulant Seed+ on the initial development of two peanut cultivars under controlled greenhouse conditions. The experiment followed a randomized block design in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme: two peanut cultivars [IAC Tatu ST (upright growth habit) and Runner IAC 886 (prostrate growth habit)] and four doses of the biostimulant Seed+ (0, 3, 6 and 9 mL kg–1 of seeds) applied in the seed treatment, with three replications. At 21 days after sowing, plant height (PH), main stem diameter (SD), number of lateral branches (NLB), and main root length (RL) were measured. Our results showed that the use of two improved contrasting cultivars with an erect and prostrate growth habit showed that peanut cultivars have different responses to the doses of biostimulant applied, with crop development, especially for the IAC Tatu ST cultivar. The application of 9 mL kg-1 of the biostimulant Seed+ in seed treatment can be an efficient alternative to stimulate the initial development of peanut cultivars grown in sandy soil of the Cerrado Sul-Mato-Grossense under controlled greenhouse conditions. However, these beneficial effects must be confirmed in experimental trials under field conditions