Fertilization With Laying Hen Manure and Economic Analysis in Caesar Weed (Urena lobata L.) Seed Production in Amazonas, Brazil

Abstract

The Caesar weed (Urena lobata L.), produces a light-colored fiber used in the textile industry for the production of sacks, fabrics, and rugs. The bottleneck in the Caesar weed production chain is the seed production. Because Caesar weed grows in a floodplain for fiber production, it does not complete its growth cycler and produce seeds. Therefore, the seeds used in the state of Amazonas come from the Brazil state of extractivism in Pará, which increases the seed costs for fiber production. It is advantageous to develop production technologies that will produce large quantities of viable Caesar weed seed on land in the state of Amazonas. Fertilizer management is an essential element to the successful crop and seed production. Laying hen manure as an organic fertilizer is one of the most accessible fertilizers for the family farmer. It is produced in large volumes at a low cost. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of different doses of laying hen manure on the production of Caesar weed seeds from the perspective of an economic analysis. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with five doses of laying hen manure (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 t/ha) and four replications. Seed productivity was evaluated from the economic point of view of fertilization. A dose of 12.7 t/ha of laying hen manure is recommended for the production of 890 kg/ha of Caesar weed seeds in low fertility soil with a very clayey texture (Souza, 2012).