Mavudi Maleka
Soil, Water, Plant & Farming Technology, Student in MED
Soil, Water, Plant & Farming Technology
Student in MED
About
This research work aims to evaluate the growth and development of plants of the synthetic maize variety OPV/VPA of Angola, when there is application of biochar during its production cycle, as well as, to assess what the effects of this application in terms of retention of nutrients in the substrate, utilization of the watering water, productivity and the EGE of the crop. It is in the public domain that the existence of climate change and the degradation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are a clear threat to the world and, above all, to humanity. The Farm to Fork strategy, included in the EPA, aims to make food production a fair, healthy and ecological system, through the implementation of measures such as reducing the use of fertilizers, implementing a circular economy, reducing WEEE and mitigating climate change. Corn is a very relevant crop of the agricultural sector in Angola, Portugal and the world, with a tendency to the growth of its production area. This, as a rule, implies a tendency towards productive intensification which brings environmental risks. Since this crop has a high consumption of synthetic fertilizers, and it is already known that this is a critical point, it becomes indispensable to answer the questions: how can we reduce the consumption of synthesizers in its production? How can we reduce the GWP of the crop? How can we increase productivity without degrading the ecosystem? The biochar has emerged as a promising tool to answer these questions, however, the benefit of its application depends on its own characteristics, which vary with the chosen biomass and with the conditions of pyrolysis, the purpose and the characteristics of the place where the biochar is intended to be used. (solo, cultural e climate). Most studies are related to the environmental benefits of the application of biochar, sometimes with contradictory results, and little is known about its effect on corn production The trials conducted with corn, Laird et al. (2017) found that biochar doses between 5-10 t/ha can increase the productivity of corn crops, while Glaser et al.(2002) suggest higher doses of 20-40 t/he to obtain the best climate results. And, from certain amounts, biochar turns out to be inhibiting the normal development of plants. The results show that there is still much to be clarified about the real effect of biochar on corn production and therefore, it should be extensively studied before its widespread use, in order to avoid long-term environmental damage.
Present Research
- Maize cultivation
Research Interests
- Biochar
Personal Information
Institutional Email | Send Message |