Nutrition and Productivity Alterations in the Pinus taeda L. Caused by Cellulose Residue Application

Abstract

Brazil produced in 2004, around 8 million tons of paper and 9,4 million tons of cellulose. Through the increasing production of paper and cellulose, the industries of this segment have generated a great amount of residues that requires viable future alternatives of disposal. Among these alternatives there is an application proposal of the cellulose residues in the forest growing. Thus, an experiment composed by 5 treatments and 4 repetitions was done entirely randomized. It was installed in 1996, in Arapoti Municipal District, State of Paraná, Brazil. These treatments received increasing doses of cellulose residues, such as: 0 (testimony), 20, 40, 80 and 100 t.ha-1. This soil was classified as red-yellow Oxysol of medium texture and it is under the cultivation of Pinus taeda L. with space of 3 x 2 m. Evaluations for growing trees were done in the area, its nutritional status, biomass production in the different part of the trees, its accumulation, nutrient exportation and quantity of wood production. As a result, the treatment of the trees which received 80 t.ha-1 of residue, presented, till the age of 7 years, larger total elevation and BHP, better concentration of K, Ca, and Mg in aciculas, rising production of biomass in different parts, better accumulation of nutrients and a 147% gain in the production of wood stock. From these results it is possible to conclude that the application of the cellulose residues presented encouraging effects on the growth and nutrition of Pinus taeda L. increasing the production of biomass and wood volume.