Title : Propagation of plantain (Musa aab) in a thermal chamber and in the open field using two biostimulants in the Arajuno canton, Pastaza province, Ecuadorian amazon
Abstract:
Plantain cultivation occupies a fundamental place in the agricultural economy and is one of the main products of the basic basket of the Ecuadorian Amazon region, however the proliferation of pests and diseases is a reality that producers face by not having quality seedlings to establish their agricultural production areas, that is why within the framework of the project "Implementation of a technological innovation system in agricultural production in the province of Pastaza" the objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of two biostimulants in the propagation of barraganete plantain (Musa AAB) under thermal chamber conditions and in the open field in the Centro San Virgilio Community, Arajuno Canton, Pastaza Province, the importance of this research lies in its potential to generate sustainable strategies that contribute to regional agricultural development and the preservation of the environment. A three-factor Randomized Block design was used, consisting of two environments, three corm sizes, classified according to their average weight: large (8.43 kg), medium (4.33 kg), and small (0.55 kg), and two biostimulants (lentil extract and evergreen) plus an absolute control, for a total of 18 treatments, with two replications, totaling 36 experimental units. The results showed that biostimulant factors and corm size are critical in shoot propagation. The botanical stimulant (lentil extract) was the most effective, producing a greater number of shoots and greater diameter compared to the commercial stimulant (evergreen) and the control. Furthermore, it was found that, in the corm size factor, large ones produced more shoots than medium and small ones. Regarding the environments, no significant differences were found in the number of shoots between the thermal chamber and the open field. It is concluded that the use of biostimulants, especially lentil extract, significantly improves the propagation of barraganete plantain, providing viable options for producers. It is also demonstrated that, under the conditions of the Ecuadorian Amazon, a thermal chamber is not essential to achieve a large number of excellent-quality shoots.
