Resumo

ACEVEDO, Ingrid C.  e  PIRE, Reinaldo. Efectos del Lombricompost como enmienda de un sustrato para el crecimiento del lechosero (Carica papaya L.). INCI [online]. 2004, vol.29, n.5, pp.274-279. ISSN 0378-1844.

Among crop fertilizer practices with low impact on ecosystems, the use of organic materials such as vermicompost has been proposed. The object of this research was to evaluate the effect of the addition of a vermicompost, obtained from cattle manure and coffee pulp, to substrates for the growth of papaya plants. Two experiments were conducted under nursery and field conditions for 60 and 120 days, respectively. In the first one vermicompost was applied alone, while in the second it was applied along with a nitrogen fertilizer. The vermicompost was added in proportions of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% to a substrate made of rice hulls, coconut sawdust and thin sand (1:1:1). The nitrogen fertilizer was applied at decreasing ratios in order to keep a constant amount of this element. Both experiments were conducted under a randomized design with 6 treatments, 8 plants per plot and 3 replicates per experiment. The vegetative growth of the plants was evaluated through leaf area, plant height, stem thickness and total dry weight. The largest growth was found with the highest ratios of vermicompost without fertilizer addition, while when nitrogen was added, intermediate ratios were more efficient. The results show the benefits of vermicompost as a substrate amendment for vegetative growth of papaya plants under nursery and field conditions.

Palavras-chave : Fertilizante; Lechosa; Lombricompost; Papaya.