Procedimientos para evaluar el efecto de aplicación de bioestimulantes en germinación y desarrollo vegetativo de hortalizas

This study presents methodological procedures for evaluating the effect of biostimulants on the germination and vegetative development of vegetable crops, focusing on cucumber and pepper cultivation in Ecuador. Addressing the challenges of climate change and the need to diversify agricultural production beyond traditional monoculture, the study highlights the potential of biostimulants to enhance nutrient uptake, abiotic stress tolerance, and early vigor. The proposed methodology was implemented in two key phases: the germination phase, which evaluates variables such as final germination percentage, hypocotyl and radicle length (via digital analysis using ImageJ), dry biomass accumulation, and seedling vigor indices (SVI-I and SVI-II); and the vegetative development phase, which involves the periodic foliar application of solutions (at 15, 30, and 45 days) and the recording of plant height, stem diameter, number of active leaves, and root volume via water displacement. Overall, establishing these standardized protocols enables the collection of precise technical data to optimize the efficient use of biostimulants in specific horticultural systems.