Abstract
Microalgae are rich in bioactive compounds with a biostimulant effect that, when applied to plants, stimulate their physiological processes. The objective was to evaluate the biostimulant effect of Chlorella sorokiniana on tomato crops. It was evaluated at concentrations of 0.1, 0.5 and 1% of microalgae biomass, with applications in 3 ways: irrigation, foliar and mixed (irrigation and foliar). The main results showed that height and chlorophyll were higher when applied to the soil at 0.1%. The highest fruit weight (670.08 g) and yield (13.012.17 tha-1) were obtained when applied to the soil at 0.5%. Likewise, a greater number of fruits was obtained in the application to the soil at 1% (3317.95), being significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) than the control (1232.77). The dry weight of leaves and roots in the foliar and mixed applications at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5 % were higher (p≤0.05) than the control. Also, it was observed in the foliar analysis that the macronutrients remained in the "sufficient" range, while in the control they were "low". This demonstrates that low concentrations of microalgae extract stimulate plant growth, nutrient utilization and crop yield.
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