Influence of biostimulants on morphometric growth and rhizospheric fungal diversity in maize (Zea mays L.) under greenhouse
Published 2026-09-23
Copyright (c) 2026 Carmen Elena Valle Castillo, Maribel Valdez-Morales, Marco Antonio Magallanes-Tapia, Fernando Alberto Valenzuela-Escoboza, Ángel Rosario Ceballos-Chávez, Blanca López Valenzuela López Valenzuela
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally important crop, particularly in Mexico, where it faces challenges such as climate change, soil degradation, and phytopathogenic diseases. This study evaluated the effect of biostimulants (Trichoderma spp., chitosan, and humus leachate) on morphometric growth and rhizosphere fungal diversity in maize plants grown under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with nine treatments and nine replicates and was conducted during the autumn–winter 2023–2024 and spring–summer 2024 seasons. Results showed that the combined application of biostimulants promoted greater plant growth, increased biomass and root volume, and reduced the presence of pathogenic fungi associated with diseases, suggesting that this strategy may enhance maize productivity under adverse conditions.
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