Fuente: Sustainability - Revista científica (MDPI) Sustainability, Vol. 18, Pages 649: Effect of Coffee Grounds as a Bio-Input in Lettuce Cultivation
Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su18020649
Authors:
Amanda Ayda Garcia Basílio
Mariana Souza Gratão
Geovana Cristina Macedo
Sarah Jamilly Leones Xavier
Maria Eduarda Borges Rodrigues Silva
Luiz Antônio Freitas Soares
Pedro Henrique Lopes Macedo
Talles Eduardo Borges dos Santos
Fábio Santos Matos

Coffee grounds can be used in agriculture as a bio-input to enhance soil fertility and biodiversity in the long term. Furthermore, the use of coffee grounds in agriculture is a sustainable practice because it reuses an organic waste product as natural fertilizer and minimizes the environmental impact resulting from the improper disposal of waste. This study aimed to identify the effects of coffee grounds on the growth and yield of iceberg lettuce plants. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using 4 kg of substrate in containers with a 5.356 dm3 capacity, following a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The primary treatment consisted of plants grown in two types of substrate: soil and sand (01) and soil, sand, and 10% coffee grounds (02). The secondary treatment corresponded to irrigation with water (01) and a 10% coffee ground extract solution (02). Coffee grounds incorporated into the soil increase soil fertility; however, they reduce lettuce growth due to the toxicity of the compounds present and should not be used without prior treatment. Processing coffee grounds into irrigation solutions shows promise due to its high potential for use as an agricultural bio-input in lettuce production. This solution enhances the growth and development of the species, resulting in vigorous plants with market value.