Author(s)

Laysa Gabryella de Souza Laurentino, Lúcia Helena Garófalo Chaves^*, Antônio Ramos Cavalcante, Jean Pereira Guimarães, Felipe Guedes de Souza, Washington Benevenuto de Lima, Hugo Orlando Carvallo Guerra, Josely Dantas Fernandes

Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande (DEAG/UFCG), Campina Grande, Brazil.

The use of organic waste for the preparation of seedling substrates is an important environmental and economic option. In this perspective, substrates using biochar emerges as an alternative for seedling production due to their favorable physical and chemical characteristics. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of doses of poultry litter biochar as a substrate constituent for the production and quality of the seedlings. The work was conducted in a semi protected environment, belonging to the Federal University of Campina Grande—UFCG. The statistical design used was completely randomized in a 6 × 2 factorial scheme, consisting of 6 doses of biochar (0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 t∙ha⁻¹) and two varieties of melon (Yellow and Hales Best Jumbo) with 4 repetitions totaling 48 experimental units. The fresh and dry plant phytomass mass (aerial, roots and total), root length and the quality of seedlings were evaluated. It was concluded that the addition of poultry litter biochar to the substrate was beneficial, promoting an increase in the analyzed seedling variables, being the ideal dose for good development of melon seedlings 12 t∙ha⁻¹. The Yellow variety presented a better response than the Hales Best Jumbo to the charcoal application. Considering the advantages of the use of poultry litter biochar on the substrate composition, found in the present study, its utilization constitutes a viable alternative for the development of melon seedlings and for the environmental disposal of the poultry litter.

Biochar, Cucumis melo L., Nutrition, Alternative Substrate

de Souza Laurentino, L. , Chaves, L. , Cavalcante, A. , Guimarães, J. , de Souza, F. , de Lima, W. , Guerra, H. and Fernandes, J. (2021) Melon Seedlings Phytomass under Poultry Litter Biochar Doses. Agricultural Sciences, 12, 181-197. doi: 10.4236/as.2021.123012.