Vermicompostagem como tecnologia aplicada no tratamento de resíduos da agroindústria de polpas de frutas tropicas: uma breve revisão

Abstract

Vermicomposting is an environmental technology applied to the treatment of organic waste, converting it into an agricultural input with high agronomic potential, produced from the combined action of earthworms and the microorganisms that live in their digestive tracts. In this process, earthworms feed on organic waste and excrete a material called vermicompost, rich in nutrients and microorganisms beneficial to the soil-plant system. The chemical attributes of vermicompost improve soil structure, increase its water retention capacity and promote microbial activity. This environmental technology has several advantages, as it is an efficient and sustainable way of recycling organic matter and nutrients, as well as mitigating the environmental impacts caused by waste that ends up in landfills or is abandoned in the field. Among the waste that is a cause for environmental concern, specifically tropical fruits: yellow mombin, Guarani cherry, and Brazilian cherry (main Brazilian native tropical fruits). Furthermore, by-products from fruit processing are not reused due to their lack of commercial value and can cause several environmental problems when disposed of inappropriately. Thus, this work aimed to carry out a bibliographical review on the originality of the project, as well as the possibility of vermicomposting the by-products of fruit pulp processing, comparing this study with others found in the literature. As a result, no studies were found in which yellow mombin, Guarani cherry, and Brazilian cherry waste are vermicomposted, giving originality to the proposal. Furthermore, studies with similar fruits, reported in the literature, indicate the possibility of vermicomposting the aforementioned residues, producing an input with high agronomic potential, suitable for use in organic and ecologically based agricultural systems.