Effects of biochar on soil fertility and the morphometry and production of elephant grass cultivars

• Autor(a) principal: Pacheco, Laiane Batista
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Machado, Roriz Luciano, Soares, Frederico Antonio Loureiro, Silva, Pedro Santhyago Ferreira da, Rabelo, Kassia Cristina de Caldas, Lima, Ângelo Adão de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista Caatinga
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufersa.edu.br/caatinga/article/view/11786
• topic: Pennisetum purpureum. Condicionador de solo. Fertilidade do solo. Irrigação. Capacidade de troca catiônica.; Pennisetum purpureum. Soil conditioner. Soil fertility. Irrigation. Cation exchange capacity.

Among the various forage species used in ruminant feeding, elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) is notable as it is a perennial plant and has a high potential for dry matter production. The present study evaluated the performance of elephant grass cultivars and soil chemical characteristics under different biochar addition levels and at different evaluation times under irrigation in the dry season. The treatments were arranged in a factorial randomized complete block design (CBD) and analyzed in a split-plot design according to cultivar (BRS Capiaçu and BRS Kurumi) x biochar dose (0, 8, 16 and 24 t ha-1); the subplots consisted of four evaluation times (71, 225, 335 and 447 days after application of biochar), with four replicates. The soil chemical characteristics were evaluated without inclusion of the time factor according to a CBD in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme, with 4 replications. The attributes analyzed were soil fertility, morphometry and elephant grass yield. The performance of the cultivars improved at 225 days (2nd evaluation) and 335 days (3rd evaluation) after biochar application. The biochar doses did not significantly increase morphometric attributes, cultivar productivity or soil fertility. The application of biochar did not improve the yield attributes or crude protein of elephant grass cultivars under the conditions of this study.