Potential of using microalgae-based biofertilizer for fertigation based on the obstruction of different types of drippers
Clogging of drippers. Microirrigation. Wastewater. Alternative FertilizersWater scarcity, exacerbated by climate change and population growth, has major impacts on agriculture, especially irrigation. In Brazil, the use of water in agriculture consumes 50% of available water resources. Fertigation using biofertilizers based on microalgae, produced from the treatment of wastewater, is a promising alternative, helping to moderate the use of water resources and maintain their quality, by stimulating the treatment of agro-industrial waste. Microirrigation using drippers, in this context, is an important part of economical water management. However, it can be limited when associated with techniques such as fertigation using biofertilizers, as this can cause clogging of the emitters. Therefore, the objective of the project is to investigate the obstruction of emitters used in the application of biofertilizer based on microalgae grown in wastewater from the synthetic dairy industry, and the feasibility of its use in fertigation. The experiment will be carried out at the Hydraulics and Irrigation Laboratory, of the Institute of Technology - Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil. The production and analysis of the biofertilizer will be carried out at the Environmental Technologies and Bioenergy Laboratory, also located at the Institute of Technology. The research will involve the construction of a test bench, production of biofertilizers, physical-chemical analyzes of effluents and biofertilizers and obstruction tests for drippers, with a circulation time of 40 hours for each treatment for each type of emitter. Three flow rates of drippers will be evaluated, under three flow speeds will be evaluated at different flow speeds and biofertilizer concentrations to identify the compatibility of the techniques, analyzing the occurrence of clogging in the different treatments throughout the experiment period.