Substratos formulados a base de biochar de lodo de esgoto: atributos físico-hídricos e eficiência agronômica para mudas de eucalipto

• Ano de defesa: 2024
• Autor(a) principal: Klitzke, Karen Raquel Pening
• Orientador(a): Timm, Luís Carlos
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Pelotas
• Programa de Pós-Graduação: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Manejo e Conservação do Solo e da Água
• País: Brasil
• Palavras-chave em Português: Lodo de esgoto aeróbio; Lodo de esgoto anaeróbio; Desempenho agronômico; Eucalyptus dunnii; Eucalyptus saligna; Aerobic sewage sludge; ;Anaerobic sewage sludge; Agronomic performance
• Área do conhecimento CNPq: CIENCIAS AGRARIAS
• Link de acesso: http://guaiaca.ufpel.edu.br/xmlui/handle/prefix/13781

With the growth of the world population and increasing urbanization and economic development, there will be an increase in the generation of solid waste and consequently, larger quantities of sludge from sanitary sewage treatment plants (LETES) will be generated. Currently, studies focused on the use of LETE biochar as a component of substrates for seedling development have been conducted, but there is a great lack of information about its use in the production of seedlings from different crops, such as eucalyptus, for example. In this sense, the present study aims to evaluate the efficiency of LETE biochar as a substrate in the production of eucalyptus seedlings. The study was conducted with aerobic and anaerobic LETES from the sewage treatment plants of Rio Grande/RS and Passo Fundo/RS, respectively. The substrates were formulated from aerobic and anaerobic LETE biochar added to a "base" mixture (vermiculite, carbonized rice husk, and organic compost). Chemical and physico-hydraulic characterization of the substrates was then performed, along with the agronomic performance evaluation for eucalyptus cultivation. It was observed that biochar resulted in an increase in both wet and dry density and a decrease in total porosity. Regarding chemical characterization, LETE biochar influences the availability of macronutrients and micronutrients, some more significantly than others. Formulations containing 50% or more LETE biochar were those that showed Dickson Quality Index equivalent to or higher than commercial substrates. The results of this study reinforce the viability of using anaerobic and aerobic LETE biochar-based substrates as an efficient and safe foundation for developing plant growth media.