Impact of dry sludges and sludge biochar on height and dry matter of Solanum lycopersicum L.

Abstract

The generation of sludge as anthropic waste is a fundamental pollution problem. However, its conversion to biochar can be an alternative to conventional fertilization for its management and use in agriculture. In this research, we evaluated the effect of the application of different doses of dry sludge (DS) and biochar of pyrolyzed sludge (PS) on the height and dry matter of a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crop and the nutrient content in the substrate. The biochar was made by rapid pyrolysis, and the substrate and the dry matter of plants were analyzed by different physical and chemical methods. An evaluation of 11 treatments was carried out in allometric measurements of plants and foliar dry matter, in three replicates with two materials (DS and PS) added to the substrate at different levels. The plant height and dry weight were evaluated using an incomplete factorial design in a completely randomized arrangement by performing statistical analysis of multivariate variance. An increase in plant height and dry weight was observed when the doses of DS and PS were increased; however, there were no statistical differences between the two materials. The amount of carbon, organic matter, and Ca concentrations in the dry leaf weight were increased with the addition of DS and PS. Likewise, the use of these materials as conditioners or amendments to agricultural soil at doses of 10-15 t ha-1 may be viable and can contribute to reducing environmental externalities through the use of these anthropic waste materials.

Keywords

• substrate
• tomato
• pyrolysis
• soil fertility