Abstract

Endophytic bacteria can promote growth and improve the quality of plant production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of inoculation of a mix of non-host endophytic bacteria isolates in the nutrition of tomato fruits cultivated, fertilized with rock powder and different doses of nitrogen. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, in a factorial arrangement (2 × 6 + 3), with four replications. The treatments consisted of two methods of inoculation of the mix of endophytic bacteria: seed microbiolization and post-emergence inoculation; six doses of nitrogen fertilization: 0, 129, 258, 387, 516 and 645 kg ha^-1; and 3 controls (without inoculation of the bacterial mix). The average export of macro and micronutrients in tomato fruits was, in descending order: K > N > P > Ca > Mg > S (averages of 1.33; 0.46; 0.07; 0.06; 0.05 and 0.05 g plant^-1, respectively) and Mn > Cu > Fe > Zn (means of 2.67; 1.98; 1.71 and 0.79 mg plant^-1, respectively). The inoculation method by seed microbiolization associated with nitrogen doses promoted significant increment in the dry mass of the fruits and in the content of the nutrients P, Ca, Zn, Fe and Mn.

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