Filter cake enhances soil fertility and initial growth of wheat cultivated in a sandy Ultisol

The use of mineral fertilizer on wheat is frequent, which can cause complications to crop and environment. That said, the use of organic fertilizers are welcome, as filter cake, a by-product from processing sugar-cane, which provides nutrients, increasing the soil pH and neutralizing the aluminum exchangeable. The objective was to evaluate the soil fertility and initial development of wheat as a function of the filter cake rates and to indicate a proper rate of filter cake for wheat plants grown in a sandy Ultisol from Northwest of the State of Paraná. Coodetec CD104 wheat variety planted on PVC columns measuring 200mm x 20cm, added the rates of 0, 5, 10, 20, 40 and, 80 g dm-3 of filter cake on each column. Filter cake fertilization increased phosphorus available and soil pH (CaCl2), as consequence, provided a significant increase in the number of tillers, fresh and dry shoots mass and on total root length, with maximum development of the crop using filter cake at rate of 76.26 g dm-3(equivalent of 152.52 t ha-1).