EFFECT OF BIOGEL WITH DIFFERENT DOSES OF LIME ON MAIZE SEED GERMINATION

Corn crop productivity can be affected by several factors, with water scarcity being one of the main limiting factors for the crop. In view of this, the use of biogel in seed treatment is considered an alternative, since these materials have a high water retention capacity. Kombucha SCOBY is described as a symbiosis of acetic bacteria and yeast encased in a cellulosic membrane, and can be used to make biogels. However, the low pH of the membrane can be a limiting factor to the development of the plant, which can be corrected by adding limestone. In this sense, the objective was to elaborate biogels from kombucha SCOBY and incorporate them with different concentrations of limestone (0%; 1.5%; 2%; 2.5%; 3% and 3.5% w/w). Then, the biogels were used in the treatment of corn seeds, putting them in direct contact with the biogel. The seeds of the control group were not treated with biogel. Finally, the seeds were arranged on germitest paper and incubated in a germination chamber (24 ºC), being moistened every 7 days. On the 15th day after sowing, analyses of shoot length, root length, and shoot and root dry mass were performed. The initial pH of the biogel was 3.20. After reacting with limestone for three days, the pH of the biogels reached values from 4.80 (1.5%) to 5.12 (3.5%). The results revealed that the biogel treatments did not positively influence the factors under study, in addition to contributing to the uneven germination of the seeds