Production of Eucalypt (Corymbia citriodora) and Jatobá (Hymenaea courbaril) seedlings fertilized with cattle-slaughter effluent disinfected with peracetic acid

The production of seedlings for commercial (Eucalypt) and native-forest-restoration (Jatobá) purposes continues to grow in Brazil. The quality of produced seedlings must be high for satisfactory results in the field. Fertilization with commercial fertilizers contributes to the production of healthy and vigorous seedlings; however, alternative materials (waste), such as effluents, may be applied as fertilizers for the sustainable and economical production of seedlings. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of using cattle-slaughterhouse effluent disinfected with peracetic acid as a source of nutrients in nurseries and compare it with that of the commercial fertilizer monoammonium phosphate (MAP). We implemented a randomized block design (RBD), with five treatments and four replications for two forest species: eucalypt ( Corymbia citriodora ) and jatobá ( Hymenaea courbaril ). The stem height and diameter of seedlings were measured every 30 days for 150 days; at the end of the experiment, we conducted physicochemical analyses of the substrate and seedlings (shoot and root) of all treatments. Moreover, the ecotoxicological evaluation of the substrate was conducted using the bioindicator Eisenia fetida (earthworm) through the escape test. The height of C. citriodora increased 44% with the application of the effluent; however, it was significantly lower than that with the application of commercial fertilizer. Although the developmemt of H. courbaril was unchanged between treatments, C. citriodora showed a higher nutritional content than H. courbaril . Moreover, the substrate receiving C. citriodora seedlings corresponded to a more attractive habitat for earthworms, likely indicating its potential for the recovery of contaminated soils. However, the resistance of the seedlings to the application of the effluent encourages studies with longer application periods. • C. citriodora seedlings fertilized with effluent were 44% taller than the control. • Corymbia citriodora shows potential for the remediation of soils contaminated with effluent. • The application of disinfected wastewater did not inhibit the growth of the seedlings ( C. citriodora and H. courbaril ).