Wheat Straw Biochar Produced at a Low Temperature Enhanced Maize Growth and Yield by Influencing Soil Properties of Typic calciargid

Muhammad Aon (), Zeshan Aslam, Shahid Hussain, Muhammad Amjad Bashir (), Muhammad Shaaban, Sajid Masood, Sidra Iqbal, Muhammad Khalid, Abdur Rehim, Walid F. A. Mosa, Lidia Sas-Paszt, Samy A. Marey and Ashraf Atef Hatamleh
Additional contact information
Muhammad Aon: Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Zeshan Aslam: Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Shahid Hussain: Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Muhammad Amjad Bashir: Department of Agronomy, Engro Fertilizers Ltd., Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Muhammad Shaaban: Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Sajid Masood: Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Sidra Iqbal: Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Sub-Campus Depalpur, Okara 38040, Pakistan
Muhammad Khalid: Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Abdur Rehim: Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Walid F. A. Mosa: Plant Production Department (Horticulture-Pomology), Faculty of Agriculture, Saba Basha, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21531, Egypt
Lidia Sas-Paszt: The National Institute of Horticultural Research, Konstytucji 3 Maja 1/3, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland
Samy A. Marey: King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Ashraf Atef Hatamleh: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: Arid and semi-arid soils are low in organic matter and have poor fertility, making them a serious threat to crop production. Most organic amendments, such as crop residues and farmyard manure, are short lived because of rapid decomposition. Incubation and pot studies were conducted to assess the impact of wheat straw biochar (produced at 350 °C) on temporal changes in soil microbial biomass and fertility status and to evaluate the efficacy of biochar for maize production in the top layer of Typic calciargid . The incubation study compared four levels of biochar (control, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% on a w / w basis of soil) and two fertilizer rates, i.e., unfertilized (no NPK fertilizer) and fertilized (nitrogen, P 2 O 5 and K 2 O with rates of 125, 80 and 52.5 mg kg −1 soil, respectively). After incubation, the 2.0% biochar significantly improved the soil cation exchange capacity, organic carbon and microbial biomass carbon by up to 35, 59 and 26%, respectively, while decreasing the soil pH by up to 1.5% compared to that of the control treatment. When fertilized, the 2.0% biochar improved the soil’s available phosphorous, extractable potassium and total nitrogen by up to 59, 39 and 28%, respectively, compared to those of the control. The results from the pot experiment showed that using the 1% biochar with fertilizer significantly increased the maize dry biomass and grain yield by up to 57 and 72%, respectively, compared to those of the control. Additionally, the nitrogen and phosphorus recoveries from the mineral fertilizers improved significantly (up to 26 and 38%, respectively) when using the 1.0% biochar compared to those of the control. Conclusively, the addition of 1.0% biochar significantly improved maize growth and yield by enhancing nutrient recovery from mineral fertilizer and improving soil properties.

Keywords: wheat straw biochar; alkaline calcareous soil; microbial biomass carbon; nutrient recovery; soil organic carbon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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