Development of tomatoes seedlings ( Lycopersicum sculentum L.) in combination with silicate rock powder and rhizospheric fungi inoculation

Global agricultural production increasingly lacks technologies and alternatives for vegetable production without harming the environment, as well as for the recovery of degraded areas. In this regard, rhizo­spheric fungi promote plant growth and are widely used in agriculture. Stonemeal is a process that uses a large amount of rock dust which is classified according to the geological conditions of the extraction site and is mineralogically diverse. In this context, the aim of the present study was to evaluate in vivo the potential of filamentous fungi isolated from the rhizosphere of cacti to promote tomato growth in combination with silicate rock powder. The experiments were carried out in a completely randomized design with a factorial scheme, with the factors corresponding to the combination of fungal isolates with rock dust, as well as their individual action. Their biometric parameters were evaluated and subjected to analysis of variance. A positive interaction was observed between the inoculation of rhizospheric fungi and rock dust, with the potential for field applications in the growth of tomato plants.