Influence of effective microorganisms on the quality of seeds of cowpea bean

Abstract

The cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is a legume and a rich source of protein, cultivated in family farming. The objective was to evaluate the effect of Effective Microorganisms on the germinative and phytopathological quality of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp). EMs were produced using rice baits. The germination test and germination speed index were conducted in a Completely Randomized Design (DIC) for each treatment: seeds bioconditioned with EM and control. Sixteen boxes, each containing 25 seeds, totaling 400 seeds per treatment, were used. The 'Blotter-test' was performed to evaluate phytopathological quality. The seeds were evenly placed on a double layer of blotting paper inside acrylic boxes. The use of EM with a dosage of 1.2 mL g-1 reduced the incidence of storage fungi, inhibited the incidence of Diaporthe sp., and resulted in an increase in the germination rate and germination speed index.