Efeito fertilizante da torta de cacau

Abstract

By means of micro-plots experiments using maize as test plant, the authors studied the possibility of utilizing cacao cake ("torta") - a residue of cacao butter and theobromine extraction, produced in large quantities by local industries in the cacao region of Bahia - as a source of N, P and K, as compared with commercial fertilizers. Cake from butter extraction was found to be a reasonably good source of N and P, but it requires over 3 tons per ha in order to supply the equivalent of 120 kg/ha of N and K2O. Cake from theobromine extraction was found to be much poorer in N. The authors recommend the use of cake from cacao butter as a filler in the preparation of fertilizer mixtures. Besides supplying part of the chemicals it acts as a fairly good anti-agglutinant.