Sustainable use of eucalyptus ash in the growth of Beta vulgaris

Abstract

The preoccupation about the origin and the mode of sustainable agricultural production has aroused interest in conducting research with products from the agribusiness that generates a large volume of organic waste. The ash produced by agro-industrial processes is one of these residues, estimating that its world production is 750 million tons per year and only half of this volume is reused in a sustainable way. The objective of this work was to analyze the interaction of eucalyptus chip ash in clayey and sand soil through chemical analysis and to evaluate the development of beetroot about different ash dosages. The experimental outlining was accomplished in completely randomized blocks, with a 2X6 factorial arrangement, with two types of soil and six treatments, with seven replications each arrangement. The physical and chemical attributes of the two soils and of the eucalyptus ash were evaluated. The variables analyzed were leaf numbers, root diameter, root length, shoot green mass, shoot dry mass root green mass, beet root dry mass. The results were submitted to analysis of variance (5%), Tukey’s test (5%) and probability regression test at 5%. The ash utilized used showed a reasonable amount of nitrogen (N) and calcium (Ca) and only traces of magnesium (Mg), with a high Ca / Mg ratio and alkaline pH. An increase in soil nutrient content was observed, as well as a reduction in aluminum availability, raising the pH, leaving essential nutrients in better availability to be absorbed in the plant's root system. The contents of Mo, P, K, Ca, Mg in the soil increased, according to the increase of the applied doses, improving the pH, CTC, SB and V%, providing better development of the root system and the aerial part of the plant beetroot. The clayey soil showed the best responses with the incorporation of vegetable ash, both in the chemical characteristics of the soil as in the development of the beet. The results indicated that vegetable ash as a corrective and fertilizer improves the chemical characteristics of the soil. The dose of vegetable ash that provided better biometric characteristics and resulted in higher beet production was28 g/dm3. The supply of ash in the soil contributed to the development of these roots.