Biocarvão: caracterização, uso como condicionador de solo e influência no desempenho agronômico do milho.

Abstract

The application of biochar as a soil conditioner, although being a relatively new concept, has been proposed as an attractive approach, due to its contribution in improving the chemical and physical properties of the soil and, consequently, in improving crop productivity. In Brazil, one readily type of waste available is the poultry litter, which has been used in the manufacture of biochar. However, its effects on the environment require specific studies, since the knowledge about the impact of this material on soil quality and composition is still scarce. Although several studies have shown important agronomic benefits, others have not shown significance and even have shown adverse effects of the application of biochar on crop productivity. Considering the scarce information about the biochar applied to the soil, a study was conducted to characterize the poultry litter biochar and to evaluate the effect of the application of different doses on the chemical and physical attributes of the soil and on the agronomic performance of the 2022 BRS corn crop. The experiments, conducted in the laboratory and in a greenhouse, were carried out studying the biochar as a soil conditioner in relation to its chemical and physical properties, nutrients availability and plant nutrition. For this purpose, soil samples of an Argisol Acizentado dystrophic were used and the hybrid corn BRS 2022 was used as a test crop. The use of biochar obtained from poultry litter demonstrated a high potential as soil conditioner, since it favored the chemical characteristics of it, observing a high potential of the biochar as a corrective of soil acidity and as a source of nutrients, as well as providing improvements in the physicalhydric characteristics of the soil, such as increasing field capacity, permanent wilting point and available water for the plants, increasing its benefits with the applied doses. The poultry litter biochar was a readily available source of soil nutrients, in particular P and K. In addition, its application increased all the growth and production variables analyzed. There was an accumulation in the leaf of all nutrients (macronutrients) with the application of aviary litter biochar. The chemical characteristics of the soil, analyzed after the BRS 2022 corn harvest, reveals that there was an influence of the doses of biochar on the levels of calcium, organic carbon, potassium and phosphorus. Thus, the application of aviary bed biochar can be an alternative to the traditional forms of fertilization and strengthening the ecological aspect of the bioenergetic engineering.