Cassava wastewater as organic fertilizer in ‘Marandu’ grass pasture

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the use of wastewater from the cassava processing as organic fertilizer on pastures of Brachiaria brizantha cv. ‘Marandu’. The treatments were wastewater doses (0, 15, 30, 60 and 120 m3 ha-1), in a randomized block design with four replicates. The structural characteristics and morphological composition of the pastures were evaluated, from July 2013 to January 2014. The addition of wastewater promoted a positive linear increase in the three cuts for the canopy height, light interception and leaf area index. The maximum dry matter (DM) production was obtained with 120 m3 ha-1 of wastewater (2796 kg ha-1 of DM in the second cut). The mass of senescent material in the second and third cuts fitted to positive linear equation. The increase in wastewater doses promoted the reduction of undesirable plants. The recommended dose of residual water in pastures of ‘Marandu’ grass is 120 m3 ha-1, which promotes a higher mass of forage and lower of undesirable plants.