Abstract
A viable alternative for the final disposal of Cocos nucifera L. waste is its use in the production of substrates to grow seedlings of vegetal species. We carried out an experiment at the Federal Institute of Ceará, Quixadá campus, to assess the technical viability of this alternative. During the experiment, seedlings of Caatinga species (Libidibia ferrea, Cenostigma pyramidale, and Amburana cearenses) were planted in the following treatments: T0 - 70% soil + 30% bovine manure, T1 - 70% soil + 20% bovine manure + 10% coconut powder, and T2 - 70% soil + 20% bovine manure + 10% coconut fiber. In each treatment, we used ten seedlings per species, in a completely randomized design. First, we calculated the percentage of emergence, then, monthly, we measured the height and diameter of seedlings. After four months of the experiment, we analyzed the investment in morphometric characteristics. The use of coconut waste favored the emergence percentage of L. ferrea and C. pyramidale, but not A. cearenses. The presence of coconut powder provided an increase in maximum height and diameter, primary root length, wood density, and dry matter content in L. ferrea seedlings, and a higher dry matter content in the wood and secondary roots of C. pyramidale seedlings. Thus, we concluded that the use of coconut waste, mainly powder, has positive or neutral effects on the growth of L. ferrea and C. pyramidale seedlings, besides being an environmentally suitable alternative for the final disposal of this material.
Highlights
The management of sanitation services has been taken into account in environmental performance assessments, especially regarding solid waste, as its improper disposal causes major environmental problems, such as greenhouse gas emissions, bad smell, and contamination of water and soil [1]
The species Libidibia ferrea and Cenostigma pyramidale showed a higher percentage of emergence in the presence of alternative substrate components
The presence of coconut waste did not favor the emergence of Amburana cearensis (Allemao) A.C.Sm, which obtained the lowest percentage of emergence, only 10% for T1 and T2 (Table 2)
Summary
The management of sanitation services has been taken into account in environmental performance assessments, especially regarding solid waste, as its improper disposal causes major environmental problems, such as greenhouse gas emissions, bad smell, and contamination of water and soil [1]. The coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is a crop whose production, processing and consumption network is a waste generator of waste that needs to be discarded. Still in 2018, approximately 2.34 million tons are produced over 216 thousand ha across the country. Brazil has the highest productivity among producing countries [3]. The third-largest producer state in Brazil, Ceará, is responsible for approximately 186,732 thousand fruits in a cultivated area of 38,965 ha [4]. 85% of the coconut becomes waste, which turns into a serious problem, as the accumulation of this material creates difficulties in health management [5]. Martins et al (2016) [6] point out that because coconut shells are organic, they release methane during decomposition when deposited in landfills
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