Production and initial growth of forest species seedlings using sewage sludge and automated irrigation

Daniel Fonseca De Carvalho,Rosaria Da Costa Faria Martins,Leonardo Oliveira Medici,João Felício Gonçalves Abreu,Mateus Marques Bueno,Paulo Sérgio Dos Santos Leles

doi:10.1590/1413-7054202145017321

Abstract

ABSTRACT Traditionally, irrigation management has not been used in forest nurseries, compromising the efficiency of the system and the quality of seedlings. In this study, we evaluated the quality of seedlings under different irrigation levels and the substrate composed of pure biosolid, and the initial growth of three Atlantic Forest tree species, produced with automated irrigation management. Four irrigation levels (V1 to V4) were applied by dripping on Schizolobium parahyba (Vell.) Blake, Cytharexyllum myrianthum Chamiáo and Ceiba speciosa Ravenna seedlings. After that, the seedlings were planted to evaluate their early growth in pots. The water was applied in response to species requirement and the volume was measured by water flow sensors, connected to an Arduino MEGA board. Height, collar diameter, leaf area, dry mass and chlorophyll content measurements were used to assess plant development on the seedling and early growth stages. Seedlings that received the highest average volume of water (V4) had a higher rate of growth in height and collar diameter for the three species studied. Despite this, the seedlings that received a smaller volume of water (V1) achieve similar size than V4 ones in pots. The plant growth and quality data, in the two phases analyzed, together with the aggregation of the substrate, indicate that the ideal irrigation level is linked to treatments that received the highest volumes of water (V3 and V4) in the seedling production phase. The results obtained indicate that it is possible to save water and produce seedlings of forest species with quality, ensuring their survival in the field.

Highlights

The global concern for environmental quality is increasingly frequent and has led to an increase in the demand for forest services and products (Laakkonen et al, 2018), especially in the production of seedlings of tree species
The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of seedlings under different irrigation levels and the substrate composed of pure biosolid, and the initial growth of three Atlantic Forest tree species, produced with automated irrigation management
The differences in volume applied between the species occur due to the physiological and growth characteristics of the plants, since they were all exposed to the same environmental conditions

Summary

Introduction

The global concern for environmental quality is increasingly frequent and has led to an increase in the demand for forest services and products (Laakkonen et al, 2018), especially in the production of seedlings of tree species. In this sense, the quality of seedlings is an important factor, because they must develop and withstand the adversities that can affect them in the field (Silva et al, 2020). The water content is indicative of its availability in the substrate and its control is important for sustainable irrigation practice and reduction in the negative impact on the environment (Boluwade; Madramootoo, 2016). The simplified irrigation controller (SIC) proposed by Medici et al (2010), which operates in response to soil water tension, has been successful used in several environments (Gomes et al, 2017; Mello et al, 2018; Bueno et al, 2021; Cruz et al, 2022) and it stands out for being low cost and easy to operate (Valença et al, 2018)

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