Resumen
- Incorporating microorganisms into plant culture systems has been a strategy for increased yields and to decrease the use and environmental impact of chemical fertilization. One of the main crops of the Colombian Caribbean is the sweet potato, due to its high fiber, mineral, vitamin and antioxidant contents, making it highly demanded worldwide, and leading to the search for better cultivating conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the response in field performance of super-elite sweet potato vegetative seeds to the inoculation of microorganisms mixed with nitrogen fertilization (NF) in doses of 50 and 75 %. Field experiments were carried out in two areas of the Colombian Caribbean using the 3×2 factorial design, where each treatment consisted of 3 plots of 36 m2. Results show that for the area of Sabanas Colinadas the inoculation of the combination of Azotobacter chroococcum-IBCR19, Azospirillum lipoferum-IBSC7 and 75 % NF, produced higher yields (14.5 ton/ha), with a significant increase of 32 %, compared to the treatment with no inoculation and 100% NF. For the Montes de María area the highest yield (15.3 ton/ha) was obtained with the inoculation of Azotobacter vinelandii-IBCB10 and 75 % NF, showing an increase of 21 % compared to the treatment having no inoculation and 100 % NF. In both areas, field yields increased with inoculation and there was a 25 % reduction of NF. These results demonstrate the increased potential of using microorganisms in sweet potato production systems of the Colombian Caribbean.