Banca de DEFESA: RICKSON GABRIEL DOS SANTOS FARIAS

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : RICKSON GABRIEL DOS SANTOS FARIAS
DATE: 28/08/2026
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Virtual
TITLE:

Sustainable production of Ornamental Sunflowers: performance of alternative Substrates and Alcohols in the Production and Quality of Potted Plants

KEY WORDS:

Floriculture; ornamental plant; sustainability.

PAGES: 30
BIG AREA: Ciências Agrárias
AREA: Agronomia
SUBÁREA: Floricultura, Parques e Jardins
SPECIALTY: Floricultura
SUMMARY:

The growing demand for sustainable production systems has driven the search for alternatives that reduce the consumption of natural resources and the use of chemical inputs in floriculture. In this context, ornamental sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) stands out due to its high commercial value and its wide use in landscaping and potted plant production, requiring technologies that promote quality, sustainability, and production efficiency. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate sustainable strategies for ornamental sunflower production through the use of dairy cattle wastewater (DCW) associated with different commercial substrates for seedling production and the application of ethanol and methanol as alternative plant growth regulators in the production of potted plants. The study comprised two independent experiments. In the first experiment, a completely randomized design was used in a 3 × 6 factorial scheme, comprising three commercial substrates (Biomix, Organossolo, and Natus) and six concentrations of dairy cattle wastewater (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%), with ten replicates per treatment. Seedlings were evaluated for initial growth, quality, and vigor. In the second experiment, also conducted in a completely randomized design, a 2 × 6 factorial scheme was adopted using ethanol and methanol at concentrations of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10% (v/v) to evaluate their effects on the vegetative growth and quality of potted ornamental sunflower plants. In both experiments, the data were subjected to analysis of variance and, when applicable, to Tukey's test and regression analysis, adopting a significance level of 5%. In the first experiment, the initial growth of the seedlings was influenced by both the substrate and the wastewater concentrations, with the response depending on the interaction between these factors. The Biomix substrate stood out by providing greater root ball stability and greater seedling vigor, especially when associated with moderate to high wastewater concentrations. These results demonstrate the potential of dairy cattle wastewater fertigation as an alternative source of water and nutrients, reducing dependence on mineral fertilizers. In the second experiment, ethanol promoted a greater number of leaves and higher fresh mass than methanol. Increasing alcohol concentrations resulted in reduced plant height, root length, and fresh mass, resulting in more compact plants. In contrast, chlorophyll content, dry mass, and production cycle were not significantly affected by the treatments, indicating that growth reduction occurred without detectable changes in these parameters. The results demonstrate that the combined use of appropriate substrates, dairy cattle wastewater fertigation, and alcohol application represents a technically feasible and environmentally sustainable strategy for ornamental sunflower production, contributing to reduced dependence on mineral fertilizers and synthetic plant growth regulators.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2379124 - ROGERIO GOMES PEGO
Externa ao Programa - 1724645 - CIBELLE VILELA ANDRADE FIORINI - UFRRJExterna à Instituição - MICHELE CAGNIN VICENTE - FAETEC