Growth, yield and content of trace elements in coffee fruits grown in soils under successive application of sewage sludge

Abstract

Brazil seeks to optimize the use of fertilizers by taking advantage of agricultural residues. The sewage sludge is used as organic matter in various crops such as coffee. However, an experiment in lysimeter was performed seeking to assess the growth, yield and content of zinc, copper, nickel, cadmium, lead and chromium in coffee fruits grown on Dystrophic Red Yellow Latosol (dRYL), Dystropherric Red Latosol (dRL) and Dystrophic Red Yellow Argisoil (dRYA); under successive application of sewage sludge. The sewage sludge increased the content of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn found in soils under study. The sewage sludge decreased coffee growth and productivity and increased the content of Cu, Zn and Cd found in coffee peel. Greater content of Cd in coffee seeds for all three soils, as well as greater content of Zn and Pb in coffee seeds grown on Dystropherric Red Latosol was also found.