Trichoderma Contributes to the Germination and Seedling Development of Acai Palm

The application of Trichoderma fungus can be used to obtain seedlings of higher quality for plantations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Trichoderma isolates on the germination and initial growth of acai seedlings. Two trials were set up. In the laboratory, the seeds were inoculated in suspensions prepared with each of the isolates for 24 h, and they were arranged in trays containing filter paper in a completely randomized design with five replicates containing 50 seeds each. For the control, the seeds were submerged only in water. Part of the seedlings resulting from seeds treated and not treated with Trichoderma were transferred to bags containing forest soil and were submitted to seven modes of application of Trichoderma and kept in a nursery. The speed of germination and hypocotyl were not influenced by the biological treatment. The application of the different Trichoderma isolates positively influenced the height, collar diameter, number of leaves, root size, leaf area and root, and aerial part dry mass of the acai seedlings. The application of the Trichoderma isolate TAM01 on the preplanting substrate and biweekly applications on the postplanting substrate was the combination that most positively influenced the development of acai seedlings.