Compatibility of biological agents with chemical seed treatments in soybean assessed by seed colonization and minimum inhibitory concentration assays
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17268/sci.agropecu.2025.060Keywords:
biological control, agricultural microbiology, microbial inoculants, phytosanitary formulationsAbstract
Chemical seed treatment is widely used to manage diseases and pests during the early stages of crop development. However, the integration of this practice with biological agents may be limited by incompatibility between chemical products and beneficial microorganisms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the compatibility of chemical seed treatments with the biological agents Trichoderma harzianum, Paecilomyces lilacinus, Bacillus subtilis, Azospirillum brasilense, and Bradyrhizobium japonicum using seeds of soybean cultivar NS 6700. Seeds were subjected to different chemical treatments and subsequently inoculated with the microorganisms. Compatibility was assessed through the percentage of microbial growth on treated seeds incubated on culture medium and by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using the broth microdilution method. The results demonstrated that compatibility was highly dependent on the chemical formulation evaluated. The treatment containing thiophanate-methyl + fluazinam showed high compatibility with the fungal antagonists, allowing 88% growth of both T. harzianum and P. lilacinus, whereas the formulation composed of pyraclostrobin + thiophanate-methyl + fipronil supported 83% growth of T. harzianum and 100% growth of B. subtilis. In contrast, treatments containing carbendazim + thiram and thiophanate-methyl + fluazinam + fipronil completely inhibited the growth of all biological agents evaluated. MIC assays complemented the results observed in seed colonization, revealing marked differences in the sensitivity of biological agents to the chemical treatments. It can be concluded that compatibility between biological products and chemical seed treatments depends on the formulation used, and prior compatibility assessments are essential to ensure the successful integration of these technologies in agricultural production systems.
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