Efectos de biocarbón en un cultivo de cacao (theobroma cacao l.) obtenido a partir de su cáscara

Abstract

Cocoa is one of the main crops of agricultural importance in Ecuador, its capacity to produce fine quality aroma cocoa makes it an item that generates several incomes to the country and one of the largest producers worldwide. With the purpose of improving the yield of the crop, practices are implemented such as: the abusive management of the soil and the incorporation of chemical products which cause negative effects generating poor soils of low fertility, on the other hand the agricultural activity is the main one in generating the effects of greenhouse gases and therefore causing impact on the climate change. It is necessary to implement sustainable techniques that improve crop yields, help mitigate climate change, increase soil fertility, and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers that affect soil microbial life and damage soil characteristics. Biocarbon is an option that has been studied for many years in the agricultural field with positive results when applied as an organic amendment to soils, it improves their physical and chemical properties, increases organic matter, improves cation exchange capacity, reduces acidity, its porous structure increases water retention capacity, and because it is a carbon sequestrator it helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The effects of biocoal will depend on the raw material used at the beginning for its elaboration and on the pyrolysis conditions handled during its process. With the above mentioned the research work aimed to analyze the effects of the use of biocoal in cocoa cultivation by studying several parameters during its application. An experimental field investigation was carried out in the "Río Negro" sector belonging to the Santa Rosa canton in the province of El Oro where a plot of land was chosen and three study units were determined to which treatments were assigned at random with a control each with ten repetitions: T0 ( control), T1 (75 gr of biocoal); T2 (150 gr of biocoal), prior to its application a soil sampling was made for a basic laboratory analysis. The variables studied were: plant height, number of sprouts of the branches, at the end five ears per treatment were collected to be evaluated in weight, diameter and length and also made a soil analysis in the laboratory to determine the percentage of organic matter, pH and electrical conductivity. The results obtained from the research reflect as the best treatment T2 (75 grams of biochar), obtaining a greater number of sprouts in the branches of the plants evaluated, the ears had better characteristics, in the height no significant differences were observed between treatments, the analysis of the soil of T1 after applications reflected an increase in organic matter, the pH decreased, The recommended dose of biochar is 75 grams demonstrating that the use of biochar as an organic amendment improves soil and crop characteristics.