Potential Effects of Biochar Application for Improving Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) Growth and Soil Biochemical Properties under Drought Stress Conditions

Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer, Hafiz Haider Ali, Walid Soufan, Rashid Iqbal, Muhammad Habib-ur-Rahman, Javaid Iqbal, Muhammad Israr and Ayman El Sabagh
Additional contact information
Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan 64200, Pakistan
Hafiz Haider Ali: Sustainable Development Study Center (SDSC), Government College University, Katchery Road, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Walid Soufan: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Rashid Iqbal: Department of Agronomy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Muhammad Habib-ur-Rahman: Crop Science, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
Javaid Iqbal: Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Muhammad Israr: Department of Biology, The University of Haripur, Haripur 22620, Pakistan
Ayman El Sabagh: Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Shaikh 33516, Egypt

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-12

Abstract: Different soil amendments are applied to improve soil properties and to achieve higher crop yield under drought conditions. The objective of the study was to investigate the role of biochar for the improvement of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) growth and soil biochemical properties under drought conditions. A pot experiment with a completely randomized design was arranged with four replications in a wire house. Drought was imposed on two critical growth stages (tillering and grain filling) and biochar was applied to the soil 10 days before sowing at two different rates (28 g kg −1 and 38 g kg −1 ). Soil samples were collected to determine the soil properties including soil respiration and enzymatic parameters after crop harvesting. Results showed that water stress negatively affects all biochemical properties of the soil, while biochar amendments positively improved these properties. Application of biochar at 38 g kg −1 provided significantly higher mineral nutrients, Bray P (18.72%), exchangeable-K (7.44%), soil carbon (11.86%), nitrogen mineralization (16.35%), and soil respiration (6.37%) as a result of increased microbial activities in comparison with the 28 g kg −1 rate.

Keywords: biochar; drought; enzymatic activities; mineral nutrients; soil properties (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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