Respuesta agronómica de plántulas de Theobroma cacao L. a concentraciones de kéfir de agua fermentado

Microbial bioinputs require dose–response validation before agronomic recommendation. Accordingly, the response of Theobroma cacao L. seedlings, obtained from open-pollinated progenies of an old Nacional cacao plot, to fermented water kefir applied to the substrate was evaluated. A completely randomized design was used with T0 = 0, T1 = 5, T2 = 25 and T3 = 50 mL L⁻¹, four replicates and four plants per replicate (64 plants). Solutions were applied as a substrate drench at 5 mL per seedling in four weekly applications. Height and stem diameter were measured at 15, 30 and 45 days; leaf number at 30 and 45 days; and root and biomass traits at the final evaluation. Repeated measurements were analyzed using linear mixed models, whereas final variables were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Height showed treatment (p = 0.0306) and time effects (p < 0.001), without interaction; stem diameter showed a treatment × time interaction (p = 0.0203). Root number (p = 0.0118), root dry mass (p = 0.0060) and shoot dry mass (p = 0.0120) differed among treatments, with the control being superior. Therefore, the ferment did not exert biostimulation