Agronomic feasibility of biostimulant products in dryland wheat crops in Minas Gerais, Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18406/2316-1817v18nunico20262158Keywords:
Triticum aestivum L., Azospirillum, Bacillus, biological, fertilizers.Abstract
Fungi and bacteria are among the most widely used biological agents in Brazilian agricultural practices. However, their application in wheat under rainfed tropical conditions remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of applying biological products as inoculants in rainfed wheat cultivation in the southern region of Minas Gerais state. Field trials were conducted over two crop seasons (2021 and 2022) at two and three locations, respectively. Four biological products and a control were tested in this study. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Seven agronomic traits, such as thousand grain weight and grain yield per hectare, were evaluated. Statistical analyses included combined mixed model analysis, followed by the multilocation GGE biplot and AMMI analysis and a principal components (PCA) multi-trait analysis, using R software. No significant differences were observed among treatments, likely influenced by suboptimal environmental conditions during the study periods. As an initial assessment under field conditions these results showed that the biological products did not significantly enhance rainfed wheat productivity.
References
APARECIDO, L.E.D.O.; PADUA, J.M.V.; TORSONI, G.B.; BARBOZA, T.O.C.; VIOL, L.E.S.; MORAES, J.R. da S.C. de; SANTOS, A.F. dos. Climate risk zoning for wheat crops in the southeastern region of Brazil. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, v.104, p.456-467, 2024. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.12943.
ARAÚJO, N.A.F.; BUTTROS, V.H.; MATTOS, D.G.; CAVALCANTI, V.P.; ALVES, E.; PASQUAL, M.; SCHWAN, R.F.; MELO, I.S.; DÓRIA, J. Beauty to last: Bacillus spp. enhance durability and reduce post-harvest rot by botrytis cinerea in cut roses. Biocontrol, v.70, n.6, p.771-784, 2025. DOI: 10.1007/s10526-025-10344-y.
ARAÚJO, R.C.; RODRIGUES, F.A.; NADAL, M.C.; RIBEIRO, M. de S., ANTÔNIO, C.A. C., RODRIGUES, V.A.; SOUZA, A.C. de; PASQUAL, M.; DÓRIA, J. Acclimatization of Musa spp. seedlings using endophytic Bacillus spp. and Buttiauxella agrestis strains. Microbiological Research, v.248, p.1-12, 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2021.126750.
CADORE, L. da S.; SILVA, N.G. da; VEY, R.T.; SILVA, A.C.F. Inoculação de sementes com Trichoderma harzianum e Azospirillum brasiliense no desenvolvimento inicial de arroz. Enciclopédia Biosfera, v.13, p.1725-1731, 2016. DOI: 10.18677/EnciBio_2016B_158.
CHANDRA, D.; SRIVASTAVA, R.; SHARMA, A.K. Influence of IAA and ACC deaminase producing fluorescent pseudomonads in alleviating drought stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Agricultural Research, v.7, p.290-299, 2018. DOI: 10.1007/s40003-018-0305-y.
CONAB - COMPANHIA NACIONAL DE ABASTECIMENTO. Acompanhamento da safra brasileira de grãos 2024/2025. 4º. Levantamento. 2026. Available at: https://www.conab.gov.br/info-agro/safras/graos. Accessed on: 25 jun. 2026.
CUNHA, G.R.; CAIERÃO, E. Trigo e triticale: informações técnicas para 15ª Reunião da Comissão Brasileira de Pesquisa de Trigo e Triticale. Brasília: Embrapa, 2023. 142p.
DANTAS, A. A. A.; CARVALHO, L. G.; FERREIRA, E. Classificação e tendências climáticas em Lavras, MG. Ciência e Agrotecnologia, v.31, p.1862-1866, 2007. DOI: 10.1590/s1413-70542007000600039.
GAGNÉ-BOURQUE, F.; BERTRAND, A; CLAESSENS, A; ALIFERIS, K.A; JABAJI, S. Alleviation of drought stress and metabolic changes in timothy (Phleum pratense L.) colonized with Bacillus subtilis B26. Frontiers in Plant Science, v.7, p.1-16, 2016. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00584.
GALINDO, F.S.; PAGLIARI, P.H.; FERNANDES, G.C.; RODRIGUES, W.L.; BOLETA E.H.M.; JALAL, A.; TEIXEIRA-FILHO, M.C.M. Improving sustainable field-grown wheat production with Azospirillum brasilense under tropical conditions: a potential tool for improving nitrogen management. Frontiers in Environmental Science, v.10, p.1-13, 2022. DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.821628.
KASIM, W.A.; OSMAN, M.E.H.; OMAR, M.N.; SALAMA, S. Enhancement of drought tolerance in Triticum aestivum L. seedlings using Azospirillum brasilense NO40 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia B11. Bulletin of the National Research Centre, v.45, p.1-14, 2021. DOI: 10.1186/s42269-021-00546-6.
KLEPA, M.S.; DICENZO, G.C.; HUNGRIA, M. Comparative genomic analysis of strains with natural variability in the efficiency of nitrogen fixation, competitiveness, and adaptation to stressful edaphoclimatic conditions. Microbiology Spectrum, v.12, p.1-22, 2024. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00260-24.
MARQUES, D.M.; MAGALHÃES, P.C.; MARRIEL, I.E.; JÚNIOR, C.C.G.; SILVA, A.B.; REIS, C.O.; SOUZA, K.R.D.; SOUZA, T.C. Does Azospirillum brasilense mitigate water stress and reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizers in maize? South African Journal of Botany, v.156, p.278-285, 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2023.03.041.
NADEEM, S.M.; AHMAD, M.; ZAHIR, Z.A.; JAVAID, A.; ASHRAF, M. The role of mycorrhizae and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in improving crop productivity under stressful environments. Biotechnology Advances, v.32, p.429-448, 2014. DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2013.12.005.
NARDINO, M.; SILVA, F.F.; OLIVOTO, T.; BARROS, W.S.; CARVALHO, C.G. de; SIGNORINI, V.S.; MEZZOMO, H.C.; CASAGRANDE, C.R. Meta-analysis of the experimental coefficient of variation in wheat using the Bayesian and Frequentist approaches. Scientia Agricola, v.80, p.2-14, 2023. DOI: 10.1590/1678-992X-2021-0190.
NKEBIWE P. M.; STEVENS LEKFELDT, J.D.; SYMANCZIK S.; THONAR C.; MÄDER P.; BAR-TAL A.; NEERGAARD, A. de. Effectiveness of bio-effectors on maize, wheat and tomato performance and phosphorus acquisition from greenhouse to field scales in Europe and Israel: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Plant Science, v.15, p.1-16, 2024. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1333249.
OKON, Y.; LABANDERA-GONZALEZ, C.A. Agronomic applications of Azospirillum: an evaluation of 20 years worldwide field inoculation. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, v. 26, p. 159-1601, 1994. DOI: 10.1016/0038-0717(94)90311-5.
OLIVOTO, T.; LÚCIO, A.D. Metan: an R package for multi-environment trial analysis. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, v.11, p.783-789, 2020. DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.13384.
PRANDO, A.M.; BARBOSA, J.Z.; OLIVEIRA, A.B. de; NOGUEIRA, M.A.; POSSAMAI, E.J.; HUNGRIA, M. Benefits of soybean co-inoculation with Bradyrhizobium spp. and Azospirillum brasilense: large-scale validation with farmers in Brazil. European Journal of Agronomy, v.155, p.1-7, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.eja.2024.127112.
R CORE TEAM. R: a language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing, 2025. Available at: http://www.R-project.org. Accessed on: Sep. 25 2025.
ROMERO-MUNAR, A.; AROCA, R.; ZAMARRENO, A.M.; GARCIA-MINA, J. M.; PEREZ-HERNÁNDEZ, N.; RUIZ-LOZANO, J.M. Dual inoculation with Rhizophagus irregularis and Bacillus megaterium improves maize tolerance to combined drought and high temperature stress by enhancing root hydraulics, photosynthesis and hormonal responses. International Journal of Molecular Science, v.24, p.1-22, 2023. DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065193.
SANTOS, F.L. dos. Inoculação e coinoculação de rizobactérias promotoras de crescimento em plantas de arroz, milho e trigo. 2018. 95p. Dissertação (Mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Ipameri.
SCHEEREN, P.L.; CASTRO, R.L. de A.N.D.; CAIERÃO, E. Botânica, morfologia e descrição fenotípica. In: BORÉM, A.; SCHEEREN, P.L. (Ed.) Trigo: do plantio à colheita. Viçosa: Editora UFV, 2015. p.35-54.
SCHÜTZ L.; GATTINGER, A.; MEIER, M.; MÜLLER, A.; BOLLER, T.; MÄDER, P.; MATHIMARAN, N. Improving crop yield and nutrient use efficiency via biofertilization — a global meta-analysis. Frontiers in Plant Science, v.8, p.1-13, 2018. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.02204.
TEIXEIRA, C.H.; FERNANDES, M.O.; CHAVES, A.D.R.; ALMEIDA, B.K.S.; SAVIOLI, G.B.; MARTINS, F.A.D.; PADUA, J.; CONDÉ, A.B.T.; NUNES, J.A.R. Performance of potential parents for a rainfed tropical wheat breeding program. Crop Breeding and Applied Biotechnology, v.23, p.1-9, 2023. DOI: 10.1590/1984-70332023v23n3a29.
THORNTHWAITE, C.W. An approach toward a rational classification of climate. Geographical Review, v.38, p.55-94, 1948. DOI: 10.2307/210739.
THORNTHWAITE, C.W.; MATHER, J.R. The water balance. Centerton, NJ: Drexel Institute of Climatology, 1955. 104p.
WANG, J.; LI, R.; ZHANG, H.; WEI, G.; LI, Z. Beneficial bacteria activate nutrients and promote wheat growth under conditions of reduced fertilizer application. BMC Microbiology, v.20, p.1-12, 2020. DOI: 10.1186/s12866-020-1708-z.
ZADOKS, J.C.; CHANG, T.T.; KONZAK, C.F. A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals. Weed Research, v. 14, p. 415-421, 1974. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3180.1974.tb01084.x.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lara Eduarda Silva Viol, Yasmin Vasques Berchembrock, Gleice Aparecida da Silva Lima, Joyce Dória Rodrigues Carvalho, José Villela Padua
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright Notice
All of the Revista Agrogeoambiental’s articles and reviews are free to access immediately after its publication.
When submitting a paper to Revista Agrogeoambiental, the authors accept the following copyright policies:
- Authors maintain the copyrights and grant the journal the right of first publication. The paper is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows the sharing of the work as long as it acknowledges the author and the initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are free and encouraged to store their work elsewhere, for instance in institutional repositories or websites such as academia.edu to increase circulation.
- Authors assume their authorship and are responsible for the originality and opinions in their papers.
- After the article acceptance and publishing by Revista Agrogeoambiental, the authors allow the editor to publicize the work in other medias.
- Moral rights are granted to the authors.
