The Mineral Biochar Alters the Biochemical and Microbial Properties of the Soil and the Grain Yield of Hordeum vulgare L. under Drought Stress

Sajjad Nasiri (), Babak Andalibi, Afshin Tavakoli, Mohammad Amir Delavar, Ali El-Keblawy, Lukas Van Zwieten and Andrea Mastinu ()
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Sajjad Nasiri: Department of Genetic and Plant Production, University of Zanjan, Zanjan 45371-38791, Iran
Babak Andalibi: Department of Genetic and Plant Production, University of Zanjan, Zanjan 45371-38791, Iran
Afshin Tavakoli: Department of Genetic and Plant Production, University of Zanjan, Zanjan 45371-38791, Iran
Mohammad Amir Delavar: Department of Soil Science, University of Zanjan, Zanjan 45371-38791, Iran
Ali El-Keblawy: Department of Applied Biology, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 72772, United Arab Emirates
Lukas Van Zwieten: Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney 1466, Australia
Andrea Mastinu: Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Biochar improves soil physical, biochemical, and microbial properties, leading to the amelioration of soil fertility, which, in turn, results in better growth and yield in crop plants. The current study aimed to evaluate whether using different levels of biochar can enhance soil characteristics and plant attributes. Accordingly, an experimental study was conducted in 2022 using a randomized complete block design with four replications (n = 4) in the experimental glasshouse of the University of Zanjan, in which two regimes of irrigation (D0, full irrigation as the control; D1, water scarcity was applied immediately after the flowering stage for two weeks) and four levels of natural mineral biochar (0% as the control treatment, 0.25, 0.5, and 1% of soil weight) were applied. The results indicated that drought substantially decreased the organic carbon content of the soil and the grain yield while increasing the available phosphorous, soil carbohydrate content, and microbial biomass of the soil. Biochar could considerably alter the means of the studied soil quality parameters and the barley grain yield. Adding biochar could be considered a valid strategy to increase the resistance of plants to drought.

Keywords: soil; organic carbon; available phosphorous; microbial biomass; grain yield; withholding irrigation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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