Waste use as substrate to yield guava seedlings

Odemir Salvador, JoãoMoreira, AdônisChaves Marcante, Nericlenes

The guava tree (Psidium guajava L.), considered a rustic plant, can be found growing naturally in low-fertility soils. However, when commercially cultivated it needs considerable amounts of fertilizers and soil correctives to attain good yields. These special measures for cultivation start with choice of a suitable substrate to grow good-quality seedlings, allowing them to reach their full productive potential. The aim of this work was to study the effect of different substrates (S1 soil, S2 vermiculite+soil+fine sand, S3 cattle manure+soil+fine sand, S4 commercial substrate+soil+fine sand, S5 urban compost+soil+fine sand, S6 sewage sludge+soil+fine sand, S7 earthworm compost+soil+fine sand, S8 chopped sugarcane bagasse+soil+fine sand, and S9 sugarcane filter cake+soil+fine sand) in completely randomized design with four replicates on the development and nutritional state of guava seedlings. The result showed that the best substrates were vermiculite+soil+fine sand; earthworm compost+soil+fine sand; sugarcane bagasse+soil+fine sand, and filter cake+soil+fine sand. The use of sewage sludge and urban trash compost should be further studied for the composition of substrates.

1. Seedling quality
2. Compost mixture
3. Nutritional state
4. 5.01.01.00-5
5. Psidium guajava
6. Growth.