Biochar on Soil Chemical Properties and Beak Pepper (<i>Capsicun chinense</i>) Production

Abstract

The transformation and recycling of poultry litter through the pyrolysis process produces a co-product called biochar which, applied to the soil, improves the chemical characteristics of the soil and is used as a soil fertilizer due to its high content of nutrients to plants. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of biochar, produced from poultry litter wastes on soil chemical properties and the culture of the beak pepper (Capsicun chinense). For this, the experimental units, corresponding to plastic vessels, were prepared with 5 kg of soil mixed with increasing doses of biochar: 0; 2.5; 5.0; 7.5 and 10 t∙ha−1, with three replications. This material (soil + biochar) was incubated for 20 days keeping the humidity close to the field capacity. After this period, soil samples from the experimental units were collected and then chemically analyzed. The seedlings of pepper were produced in a greenhouse and transplanted to the experimental units when the seedlings were 15 cm tall. After 10 days of transplanting, thinning was done, leaving a plant/vessel. Biometric variables were analyzed at 120 DAS, after fruit harvesting: plant height (PH), stem diameter (SD), fresh shoot biomass (FSB), fresh fruit biomass (FFB), dry biomass of the aerial part (DSB) and the fruits (DFB). The results were submitted to analysis of variance and regression by orthogonal polynomials using the statistical program SISVAR. Biochar improved the soil chemical properties using as an acidity corrective and source of nutrients, mainly phosphorus and potassium. The doses used, in general, favored the development and production of the beak pepper, increasing the fresh shoot biomass, the fresh and dry fruit biomass. To improve the soil chemical properties, the highest biochar dose is recommended, that is, 10 ton∙ha−1, however, this dose can harm the production of pepper fruits, so for this crop 5 ton∙ha−1 should be recommended.