Development of polymeric spheres containing humic substances/peat: a new system for modified release of macro and micronutrients for soils

Abstract

Studies have reported that the environmental applications, technological and medicinal peat, would be associated to the high content of humic substances (HS) present in its constitution, which influence and enable their use in various areas such as water treatment and effluent , monitoring of environmental pollution, production of fuels, medicines, soil management, etc. .. Besides these effects, the structural characteristics and physicochemical properties of peat and SH, enable them to be studied in order to slow release of nutrients in soil for plants. Thus, this project aims to develop a new system using peat / humic substances (HS) for slow release of macro (phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, calcium and magnesium) and/or micronutrients (boron, copper, chloride, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and zinc) in soils. The main advantages of the system are: low cost of preparing the system, reducing wastage of nutrients released to the soil and minimize the possibility of leaching of nutrients to aquatic systems, resulting in the contamination of surface waters. Moreover, the system peat/SH-macromicronutrientes to be developed have the advantage of also enter the soil organic matter in the form of HS, contributing to the increase of permeability, cation exchange, water retention and heat favoring the germination of seeds and thereby increasing agricultural productivity. (AU)