Biochar as an alternative substrate for the production of sugarcane seedlings

ABSTRACT Biochar, which has emerged as an important form of the transformation and final disposal of biomass, can be used directly in soil or in seedling nurseries. In this study, the use of biochar of different particle sizes and percentages was evaluated in replacement to a conventional substrate used in the production of sugarcane seedlings. To this end, an experiment was carried out based on a completely randomized design, with a 5 × 4 factorial scheme, consisting of five different percentages of biochar (with 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% v/v substitution of the conventional substrate) and four particle sizes (