Lettuce production with rates of biochar from babassu palm rachis

ABSTRACT Use of biochar produced from biomass residues may improve physical, chemical, and biological conditions of soil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase crop yields. This study evaluated production of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L., cv. Babá de Verão) in a dystrophic Yellow Latosol (LAd) by adding biochar from the babassu palm (Attalea speciosa Mart.) rachis at 0, 10, 20, or 30 t∙ha−1 in pot culture, and growth and production of lettuce evaluated. Lettuce grown with 30 t∙ha−1 of biochar improved plant height, number of leaves, and total fresh mass. Rates that promoted greater accumulation of fresh mass of the aerial part, aerial part dry mass, fresh root mass, root dry mass, and total dry mass ranged between 17.3 and 27 t∙ha−1 of biochar. Use of biochar may be an alternative to improve physical and chemical conditions of LAd soil in successive crops of lettuce in pot culture. The correction of the LAd soil with increasing rates of biochar increased growth and yield of lettuce in pot culture.