Efeito de óleos essenciais no tratamento de sementes de feijão-caupi

Abstract

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a legume of great socioeconomic and nutritional importance in Brazil, especially in the North and Northeast regions. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of essential oils in the treatment of cowpea seeds by comparing their efficacy to chemical treatment with difenoconazol chemical fungicide. The essential oils of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), peppermint (Mentha piperita), and tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) were tested at different doses, in addition to an untreated control. The parameters evaluated included germination, germination speed index, seedling height, stem diameter, leaf area, chlorophyll content, green mass, and dry mass. The results showed that the treatment with Difenoconazole presented better performance in terms of germination speed, dry matter accumulation, and height growth. The essential oils, although they presented inferior performance to the fungicide, did not cause significant damage to most of the variables analyzed, maintaining levels similar to the control in the measurements leaf area, stem diameter and chlorophyll content.