Uso de cinzas de biomassa florestal no desenvolvimento de mudas de Eucalyptus

Abstract

Industrial processes generate different types of waste, including ashes that come from the burning of forest biomass in boilers or furnaces. These ashes are produced in large quantities and represent environmental concern, because, in addition to occupying a large physical space for storage, they have not always received an adequate destination. This research aimed to analyze the effect of the application of different doses of ash from the burning of eucalyptus (forest biomass) in Eucalyptus urograndis seedlings. To conduct the study, the seedlings were approximately 30 cm tall, and were transplanted into pots and conducted in a greenhouse, being free of bad weather agents, such as rain, wind and frost, receiving automatic irrigation. The experiment lasted eight months, from June 2022 to January 2023, and at the beginning and end of the experiment, soil and leaf tissue analyses were performed. The variables neck height and diameter were checked monthly and submitted to the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test at 95% probability for comparison in pairs of means. In addition, to define the growth rate and the ideal dosage, regression equations and derivatives of the quadratic equations were adjusted to zero, respectively, configuring the treatment with the highest growth rate under the tested variable and the dosage that expresses the biological maximum in the eucalyptus response. The results indicated that the incorporation of 44,5 t/ ha-1 of ash in the substrate provides a higher height growth of Eucalyptus urograndis seedlings. The increase in soil pH with the increase in the proportion of ash indicates that it is appropriate to use ash for the purpose of reducing soil acidity. In addition, it was possible to observe that the addition of ash increased the amount of nutrients in the soil and its availability to the plants.