Reuse of Residues as Substrate for Production of Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urograndis) Seedlings

Abstract

Studies about crop residue management have become essential due to the possibility of their use in forest seedlings production. This study evaluated the effect of coffee moinha (MO) on substrates composed of vermiculite (VE), coconut fiber (CF) and carbonized rice husk (CRH) in the development of Eucalyptus seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, with five treatments of increasing proportions of MO/decreasing proportions of CRH (0/28, 7/21, 14/14, 21/7 and 28/0%) and fixed proportions of VE (36%) and CF (36%) in the substrate. At 85 days after planting, the following parameters were assessed: shoot height, stem diameter, root dry mass, shoot dry mass, emergence percentage and Dickson's quality index (DQI). The results showed CRH could be fully substituted by MO (28%) in the substrate composition because the assessed variables presented lower values than the control treatment (0% MO + 28% CRH + 36% VE + 36% CF). Moreover, the maximum vegetative development in Eucalyptus seedlings was achieved when CRH was replaced by up to 20% MO. In this way, MO becomes an alternative as a substrate component for Eucalyptus seedlings production.