Determinación de la dosis optima de biocarbón como enmienda edáfica en el cultivo de banano (musa x paradisiaca) clon williams

Abstract

The export of bananas in Latin America is the most important in the world; along with bananas, other tropical fruits was producing that contribute to the food of many countries. In Ecuador exclusively in the Province of EL Oro, there are extensive areas that present favorable agroclimatic conditions for the cultivation of bananas, making it the most important crop in the region and the country, the negative is the abuse of used agrochemicals that contaminate the soil, water and the whole environment. From this approach, this research project was born, with a proposal to counteract the negative effects caused to the soil using agrochemicals, by using biochar as a soil amendment. At present, most of the soils where banana crops are developed present structural, physical and chemical problems, causing low yields, due to the accumulation of inert materials such as salts, bases and heavy metals that come in the formulation of chemical fertilizers, the excessive use of herbicides, insecticides and nematicides have exterminated the biological activity, causing the loss of porosity, the low interaction of beneficial microorganisms with organic matter, poor mineralization of nutrients, which at present have become the main problems to be solved in the banana sector; However, little has been done to properly manage crop nutrition. Biochar is a cost-effective and carbon-rich edaphic amendment, which used primarily for the recovery of soils that have received chemical loads for prolonged times. The incorporation of biochar in the soil improves cation exchange capacity, regulates pH, increases water retention capacity, and promotes better root development in conjunction with soil micro biota, increasing crop phytosanity and productivity, contributing to reduce greenhouse gases due to its CO2 sink function. The combination of biochar with fertilizer and the carbon storage function in soils would activate the microbial community, which can lead to the release of bioavailable nutrients to taken by the roots of the plants, causing an increase in productivity. Given the above, this research work was car out, with the objective of determining the optimal dose of biochar to use as a soil amendment in banana cultivation. An experimental field design was established with five random treatments: T1 (10-20 gr Yaramila complex); T2 (75 gr biochar + 10-20 gr Yaramila complex); T3 (50 gr of biochar + 10-20 gr Yaramila complex); T4 (Absolute Witness without application); T5 (100 gr biochar +10 gr Yaramila complex). The variables studied were: Plant height (AP); Fuste (FT); Number of sheets (NH); Degree of the hand of the sun (GMS), Number of fingers (ND); Finger length (LD); Brix degrees in green fruits (BFV), Cluster weight (PR); Spine weight (PRQ); Processed ratio (RP), Child height (AH); Grandson Height (AN); Days to delivery from sowing (DAP); Days to harvest from sowing (DAC); Leaves at parition (PAH). This research was carried out from June 29, 2018 to September 02, 2019, at which time only the T2 and T3 treatments generated harvest data, very remarkable results regarding the optimal dose that indicated that the T2 with 75gr of biochar + 10-20 g of Yaramila complex and the T3 with 50 gr of biochar + 10-20 of Yaramila complex were the best in terms of plant development, days of delivery and harvest, phytosanity and number of leaves, demonstrating significance important in relation to the other treatments. The T5 treatment with 100 gr of biochar + 10-20 of Yaramila complex, was the dose that showed the lowest means for all the variables evaluated of phenological development, this treatment retarded the growth of the plants. Focused on the two treatments T2 and T3 that turned out to be the best because they presented shortening in the crop cycle and very satisfactory ratios for the first cut, demonstrating that biochar is an excellent organic alternative and at low cost to be applied in the cultivation of banana.