Characterization of Cupuaçu ( Theobroma grandiflorum ) Waste for Substrate in Seedling Production

Isaac Manoel Rocha de Sousa Filho, Clodoaldo Alcino Andrade dos Santos (), Geomarcos da Silva Paulino, Anselmo Júnior Corrêa Araújo, Wandicleia Lopes de Sousa, Helionora da Silva Alves, Thiago Almeida Vieira and Denise Castro Lustosa
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Isaac Manoel Rocha de Sousa Filho: Institute of Biodiversity and Forests, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém 68040255, Brazil
Clodoaldo Alcino Andrade dos Santos: Institute of Biodiversity and Forests, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém 68040255, Brazil
Geomarcos da Silva Paulino: Doctor Program Society, Nature and Development, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém 68040255, Brazil
Anselmo Júnior Corrêa Araújo: Institute of Biodiversity and Forests, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém 68040255, Brazil
Wandicleia Lopes de Sousa: Campus of Alenquer, Federal University of Western Pará, Alenquer 68200000, Brazil
Helionora da Silva Alves: Institute of Biodiversity and Forests, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém 68040255, Brazil
Thiago Almeida Vieira: Institute of Biodiversity and Forests, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém 68040255, Brazil
Denise Castro Lustosa: Institute of Biodiversity and Forests, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém 68040255, Brazil

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-11

Abstract: Cupuaçu ( Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) K. Schum.), a fruit native to the Amazon, is widely used in the food industry. However, it generates large amounts of shell and seed residues after processing, which are generally discarded inappropriately. We characterized cupuaçu residues to determine their potential as substrates for seedling production. Shells and fruit seeds were collected from a rural community in the municipality of Belterra, Brazil. The residues were weighed, dried, and crushed for chemical (macro and micronutrients, elemental analysis, and ash content) and physical (density and porosity) analyses. Different proportions of each residue (9:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1, and 0:1) were used, and soil alone was used as the control. The chemical analysis of the plant material showed that cupuaçu seed residues had higher concentrations of macro- and micronutrients among the analyzed elements when compared to the fruit shell residues. The macronutrient concentrations (P, K, Ca, and Mg) were, respectively, 5, 1.3, 2.3, and 5.6 times higher than those in the shell residues. Compared with the soil sample, the concentrations of the macronutrients (P, K, Ca, and Mg) in the shell residues were, respectively, 600, 162, 1283, and 12.35 times higher. Analysis of variance and comparison of treatment means were performed using Tukey’s test ( p ≤ 0.05). Chemical analysis showed that cupuaçu seed and shell residues had higher concentrations of macro- and micronutrients than soil. All proportions tested with residues had lower densities and greater porosities than soil. The cupuaçu residues showed desirable chemical and physical characteristics for their use as substrate in seedling production.

Keywords: fruit shell; seeds; alternative substrate; organic waste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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