Jaynne Lino - Federal University of São Francisco Valley, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Petrolina, Brazil
Adriana Santos - Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, Brazil
Lucas Maciel - Federal University of São Francisco Valley, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Petrolina, Brazil
Maiara Silva - Federal University of São Francisco Valley, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Petrolina, Brazil
Antonio Souto - Federal University of São Francisco Valley, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Petrolina, Brazil
Jaciele de Lira - Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, Brazil
Italo Cavalcante - Federal University of São Francisco Valley, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Petrolina, Brazil Researcher Fellow of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)

The use of microorganisms has shown to be a promising strategy for increasing photosynthetic activity and greater accumulation of assimilates in crops. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Rhodopseudomonas palustris on the fruit yield and quality of ‘Keitt’ mangoes grown under semi-arid environmental conditions. The experiment was carried out simultaneously in two mango orchards in Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil. The study followed a randomized blocks design with treatments distributed in ۷ treatments, ۴ replications, and ۳ plants per plot. The treatments consisted of different use strategies of R. palustris: T۱) control treatment; T۲) ۱.۴۳ x ۱۰۷ CFU/plant via fertigation; T۳) ۲.۸۵ x ۱۰۷ CFU/plant via fertigation; T۴) ۴.۲۷ x ۱۰۷ CFU/plant via fertigation; T۵) ۵.۷۰ x ۱۰۷ CFU/plant via fertigation; T۶) ۱.۴۳ x ۱۰۷ CFU/plant via fertigation + ۱.۴۳ x ۱۰۷ CFU/plant via leaf spray; T۷) ۲.۸۵ x ۱۰۷ CFU/plant via fertigation + ۱.۴۳ x ۱۰۷ CFU/plant via leaf spray, applied monthly, totaling seven applications. Fruit yield (Mg ha-۱) and following variables in the fruit: longitudinal diameter, ventral diameter and transverse diameter, fruit mass, pulp firmness, pulp percentage, soluble solids (SS), pH, titratable acidity (TA), Ratio (SS/TA), and dry pulp mass were evaluated. R. palustris affects positively fruit yield, and fruit quality characteristics for longitudinal and transversal diameters, as well as the SS/TA in mango. Mango plants treated with R. palustris is ۱.۴۳ × ۱۰۷ CFU/plant via fertigation (T۲) produced ۱۰ Mg ha-۱ more than the control, without loss of fruit quality considering the European market demand.

Mangifera indica, post harvest, Purple bacterium, Abiotic stresse