ABSTRACT A considerable part of fresh plant-based food has been discarded as waste, although it could be used to make organic compost for growing plants, retaining nutrient that would be discarded without any control in the environment. The aim of this study was to produce an organic compost using fresh vegetable food discarded from restaurants and mowed grass and to evaluate it for production of lettuce. The compost was produced and mixed with the commercial substrate Tropstrato HT Hortaliças® to occupy 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25% of the volume of the mixture, which was used to grow Imperial and Imperial Roxa cultivars in the first experiment, and Camila and Red Star lettuce cultivars in the second one. The experiments were conducted under protected environment, organized in a 6x2 factorial scheme, following completely randomized design with three replicates. Chemical analyses of the substrate and compost and measurements of plant size and mass were carried out. The addition of compost caused an increase in all measurements of the plant traits, with the maximum estimated increase ranging from 1.7 to 9.0 times that estimated for the absence of compost in the plant growth substrate. Maximum estimated values for size and mass were observed with compost concentrations ranging from 20.1 to 26.7% of the mixture volume. The production of organic compost and its mixture with a commercial substrate proved to be an alternative for lettuce production, giving a better destination to the organic residues and promoting a reduction in the use of industrial inputs.

RESUMO Uma parte considerável dos alimentos vegetais frescos ainda é descartada como resíduo, embora possa ser aproveitada para confecção de composto orgânico e este usado para o cultivo de plantas, retendo nutrientes que seriam dispostos sem controle no ambiente. O objetivo deste trabalho foi produzir um composto orgânico com descarte de alimentos vegetais frescos de restaurante e poda de grama e avaliá-lo para cultivo de alface. O composto foi produzido e misturado ao substrato comercial Tropstrato HT Hortaliças® de modo a ocupar 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 ou 25% do volume da mistura e ela usada para cultivo das cultivares Imperial e Imperial Roxa num primeiro experimento, e Camila e Red Star num segundo experimento. Os experimentos foram realizados em cultivo protegido em esquema fatorial 6x2, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com três repetições. Foram realizadas análises químicas do substrato e do composto e medições de tamanho e massa das plantas. A adição de composto provocou aumento de todas as características de planta medidas, sendo que o aumento máximo estimado variou de 1,7 a 9,0 vezes aquele estimado para a ausência de composto no substrato de crescimento das plantas. Os valores máximos estimados destas características de tamanho e massa foram observados com concentrações de composto entre 20,1 e 26,7% do volume da mistura. A produção de composto orgânico e sua mistura a um substrato comercial mostrou-se uma alternativa para produção de alface, proporcionando destino adequado aos resíduos orgânicos e promovendo redução do uso de insumos industriais.

ABSTRACT Alternatives to enhance the consensual low phosphorus (P) use efficiency of agriculture may include use of phosphate rock (PR) and plant species with unequal ability to get soil and rock P interplanted in cropping systems to allow plants with higher ability to facilitate access to P of plants with lower ability. This study investigated (i) the maize and three soil cover crops on their capacity to acquire P from PR and (ii) measured P acquisition of maize interplanted with the soil cover crop with the highest capacity to acquire P shown in (i). Experiments were carried out in a greenhouse, with plants grown in single and mixed cropping in pots containing a sandy, low–P soil amended with Monocalcium Phosphate (McP) or the Brazilian PR Itafós. Plant biomass production with PR, in relation to McP, was 83.7 % for buckwheat, 83.6 % for forage radish, 51.8 % for maize, and 0.3 % for pigeon pea. Buckwheat showed capacity of acquiring P from PR; nevertheless, it did not increase growth or P nutrition of maize interplanted in the soil amended with PR, showing no significant P facilitation. The soil amended with McP showed competition between the two plants in the pots. Maize had a greater growth in mixed than in single cropping and this occurred at the expenses of buckwheat. Despite the P mobilization potential of buckwheat, its simple interplanting with maize did not produce positive results.

O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, com o objetivo de estimar os níveis críticos inferiores (equivalentes a 90% da produção máxima de grãos) e superiores (equivalentes à redução de 10% na produção máxima de grãos) de B nos solos e nas plantas de feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivado em amostras de solos de várzea. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições, arranjado num esquema fatorial 4 x 7, sendo quatro solos (Glei Pouco Húmico, Aluvial, Glei Húmico e Orgânico) e sete doses de B (0,0, 0,25, 0,5, 1,5, 3,0, 6,0 e 10,0 mg dm-3). As amostras dos solos, incubadas por 24 dias com calcário dolomítico, macro e micronutrientes e B, foram analisadas no tocante a B pelos extratores BaCl2 0,125%, Mehlich I, água quente e CaCl2 0,01 mol L-1. Três plantas foram cultivadas por vaso de 3 dm³: uma, colhida no florescimento, avaliando-se os teores foliares de B, e duas, na maturação de grãos, avaliando-se a matéria seca de grãos. Os resultados mostraram que nos solos, os níveis críticos inferiores de B variaram de 0,57 a 1,87 mg dm-3, e os superiores, de 1,89 a 4,65 mg dm-3, independentemente do extrator utilizado. Nas folhas do feijoeiro, os níveis críticos inferiores estiveram entre 44,2 e 68,1 mg kg-1, e os superiores, entre 143,6 e 199,1 mg kg-1.

This experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions with the objective of determining the inferior (equivalent to 90% of the maximum grain yield) and the superior critical levels (equivalent to decrease of 10% of the maximum grain yield) of B in the soil as well as in the top of common bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivated in lowland soils samples. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications, in a factorial scheme, using four types of soils (Low Humic Gley, Alluvial, Humic Gley and Bog Soil) and seven B doses (0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 1.50, 3.0, 6.0 and 10.0 mg dm-3). The soil samples were incubated with lime, macro and micronutrients including B, during 24 days. The soil samples were then submitted to B extraction with four extractant solutions: BaCl2 0.125%, Mehlich I, hot water, and 0.01 mol L-1 CaCl2. Three plants were cultivated in pots containing three dm³ of treated soil. Boron contents of plant shoots at the flowering period and grain dry matter yield at the end of the cycle were determined. In soils, the inferior critical levels varied from 0.57 to 1.87 mg dm-3 and the superior ones varied from 1.89 to 4.65 mg dm-3. In plants, the inferior critical levels varied from 44.2 to 68.1 mg kg-1 and the superior ones from 143.6 to 199.1 mg kg-1.