Produção de mudas de Sabiá com o uso do biochar de caroço de Umbu
Jefferson Araújo da Silva
Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido
Narjara Walessa Nogueira
Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido
Rômulo Magno Oliveira de Freitas
Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
Felipe Loan Barreto de Araújo
Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido
Gutierres Silva Medeiros Aquino
Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido
Palavras-chave: Biocarvão; Spondias tuberosa; Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia
Resumo
Unregulated socioeconomic development has accelerated environmental degradation, creating an unsustainable scenario that demands solutions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Like any production process, the fruit pulp agro-industry produces a large volume of organic waste. Given the need for proper disposal, an environmentally sound and legally compliant alternative is the conversion of this waste into biochar, a product of the pyrolysis of organic matter. Biochar has the potential to be used as a sustainable technology for the production of forest seedlings in the Caatinga biome, which faces severe deforestation. This research was developed to evaluate the viability of biochar produced from Umbu seeds (Spondias tuberosa Arr. Cam.), an agro-industrial waste product, as a substrate conditioner in the production of sabiá seedlings (Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth.). The work was carried out in a greenhouse at UFERSA in Mossoró/RN, using a randomized block design with five biochar doses (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 t.ha⁻¹). The biochar was produced by slow pyrolysis and characterized physico-chemically before incorporation into the substrate. Sabiá seeds underwent mechanical topping treatment to break dormancy and were sown in tubes with the conditioned substrate, remaining in cultivation for 60 days after thinning with controlled irrigation. Growth and biomass analyses were performed, including: shoot length (SLL), root length (RL), collar diameter (CD), dry mass of leaves (DM), stem (DM), shoot (DMSP), root (DMR) and total dry mass (TDM), in addition to the robustness index (RI) and Dickson Quality Index (DQI). The data were subjected to ANOVA and compared using Tukey's test at 5%, and, when significant, regression curves were generated using SigmaPlot®. The results demonstrated a significant positive effect of biochar incorporation on seedling development, with the 45 t.ha⁻¹ dose standing out, promoting the highest values in most of the analyzed variables, including shoot length, root length, total dry mass, and quality indices. This dosage resulted in seedlings with more developed root and shoot systems, greater biomass accumulation, and superior quality indices, indicating greater robustness and post-planting survival potential. It is concluded that umbu seed biochar is a viable and beneficial alternative for the production of sabiá seedlings, with potential application in programs for the recovery of degraded areas and sustainable management in the Caatinga biome, in addition to representing an appropriate destination for this agro-industrial residue.