Cassava productivity increased with the use of cassava wastewater as a fertilizer

Abstract

Cassava wastewater (CWW) is a residue highly rich in nutrients and compounds that can be used in plant nutrition. Cultivation of cassava in some communities on the outskirts of the Amazon is quite incipient due to the lack of technical assistance and technical-scientific information on the cultivation of the species in the region itself. With this, the cassava culture falls into traditionalism, being closed to innovations in these regions. The aim of study was to evaluate the use of CWW as fertilizer in cassava culture. The research was conducted in the field at the Science Center of Chapadinha, at the Federal University of Maranhão. The following doses of CWW were used: 0, 71, 144, 213 and 286 m³ ha^-1 CWW, where the biometric and productive parameters of cassava were evaluated. Except for stem length, all biometric and yield parameters responded significantly to doses of cassava wastewater. The biometric parameters showed an increase in their results until the optimal dose was reached. Root length and diameter increased with cassava wastewater. Stem diameter also increased when cassava wastewater was used as a biofertilizer. The same behavior was observed in the productive parameters, where the cassava root yield (t ha^-1) reached the best result with 144.3 m³ ha^-1 of CWW. Use of CWW positively influenced the growth, development and productivity of the cassava crop. However, its use must be done with caution to avoid unwanted results. The application 144.3 m³ ha^-1 of CWW is recommended to increase cassava root yield.