Evaluación del uso de azolla como biofertilizante en comparación con la urea para suelos agrícolas

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using azolla as a biofertilizer compared to conventional urea in agricultural soils. For this purpose, an experimental design was developed to analyze the impact of both fertilizers on plant growth and soil health. A semi-controlled chard cultivation experiment was implemented with four treatments: application of azolla's biomass, azolla's water, use of granular urea and a control group without fertilization. The variables analyzed included plant growth (height and leaf width), crop yield and soil physicochemical parameters (pH, conductivity, and moisture). Data collection consisted of daily measurements of plant growth for four weeks, in addition to an initial, an intermediate and a final soil sample collection in order to evaluate the performance of each treatment. The results obtained show that the implementation of azolla as a biofertilizer can be an effective strategy to improve agricultural productivity and promote more sustainable agricultural practices. Finally, the research contributes to the knowledge on the use of biofertilizers and their potential to reduce the dependence on synthetic fertilizers, promoting a more ecological management of agricultural soils.