Effect of Substrate Treated with Tannery Sludge on Growth and Anatomy of Conilon Coffee Cuttings

Abstract

This work evaluated the development and anatomy of the conilon coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre - Rubiaceae) seedlings on substrates with varying doses of dehydrated bovine tannery sludge. The experiment was divided into two stages; The first one was carried out in the field in a nursery of seedlings in the city of Colatina and the second was carried out in a Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Biology of Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes. During the field phase, the experiment was performed in randomly selected sections of a propagating nursery area in which each section received five treatments with twelve replicates per treatment. Seventeen replicates of seedlings were included in each treatment for a total of 85 plants per section and 1,020 plants for the whole experiment. Biometric analyzes and gravimetric evaluation of the development of seedlings were carried out at 120 days post - planting at the house of propagation of seedlings. For anatomical and ultrastructural analysis, plant material was processed in accordance with standard techniques for light and electronic microscopy. Despite increasing chromium levels in leaves with increasing doses of sludge, there was no impairment to plant development associated with other components of the tannery sludge treated substrate, such as humus and soil. Structural analysis revealed reduction and disruption of the palisade parenchyma and alteration to the shape and internal structure of chloroplasts. The use of tanning sludge in the proportion of 20% showed positive results, with potential of use in the substrate of Coffea canephoraseedlings.