Growth Rates and Sunflower Production in Function of Fertilization with Biochar and NPK

The use of alternative sources such as biochar can contribute to sustainable agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fertilization with biochar in combination with mineral fertilizer, growth rates and yield of sunflower cv. Embrapa 122/V2000. The experiment was carried out in a protected environment of UAEAg/CTRN/UFCG in pots with a capacity of 20 dm3 under a completely randomized experimental design, with treatments arranged in a factorial scheme (5 × 4) and four replicates corresponding to five doses of mineral fertilization 0, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of fertilization indication with NPK (100, 300, and 150 mg kg-1) and four doses of biochar, 0; 5% (400 g/pot); 10% (800 g/pot) and 15% (1100 g/pot) calculated on the basis of the soil volume. Fertilization with biochar promoted an increase in sunflower growth rates in the evaluation periods. The combination of 50: 150: 75 mg kg-1 of NPK and 400 g/pot of biochar promotes higher production of sunflower (23.91 g/plant).