Promoting sustainability through agro-industrial waste valorisation

Abstract

Adaptation to climate change and sustainability encompasses several strategies as the agronomic by-products valorisation, transforming waste into resources, contributing to a most efficient use of land and resources and, simultaneously, to circular economy.This work aimed to study the effect of the rice husk (RH) incorporation on substrates in petunia, Petunia x hybrid, yield.The bioassay was carried out in 13 cm in diameter pots, randomly arranged, under greenhouse conditions, for 10 weeks.Four treatments were studied: (1) control, substrate without RH; (2) substrate with 10% RH; (3) substrate with 25% RH; and (4) substrate with 50% RH.There were four replicates, each consisting of five plants.Number of flower buds, aerial part diameter and length were evaluated weekly.At the end of the bioassay, aerial part and root weights, and substrate water retention capacity were evaluated.Results were submitted to One-Way ANOVA followed by the Tukey test, when significant differences were present.The obtained results suggest that the incorporation of a low-cost by-product of the rice processing industry—RH in soils with low drainage capacity may be a recommended practice promoting simultaneously the increase of crop production and the use of a low cost and widely available bio-waste, contributing this way to the circular economy premises, reducing wastes and targeting as well a more adapted agro-industry to a changing climate.