Sustainable Management of Peanut Shell through Biochar and Its Application as Soil Ameliorant

Aisha Nazir, Um-e- Laila, Firdaus-e- Bareen, Erum Hameed and Muhammad Shafiq
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Aisha Nazir: Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory (F4), Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Um-e- Laila: Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory (F4), Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Firdaus-e- Bareen: Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory (F4), Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Erum Hameed: Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory (F4), Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Muhammad Shafiq: Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory (F4), Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 24, 1-15

Abstract: The current research encompasses utilization of peanut shells (PS) as feedstock for pyrolysis carried out at various temperatures (250, 400, and 550 °C) for deriving biochar, namely PS-BC250, PS-BC400, and PS-BC550. After analyzing the biochar types physicochemically, it was applied as a soil ameliorant for the growth of cucumber. The results showed that in prepared biochar type, bulk density, volatile contents, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen content decreased, whereas pH, electrical conductivity, ash content, fixed carbon content, and surface area increased with the increasing temperature. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) presented high porosity, re-orientation of vessels, and a greater number of aromatic compounds, respectively, for PS-BC prepared at 550 °C. On applying PS-BC250, PS-BC400, and PS-BC550 as amendments in potted soil at 2, 4, and 6% ( w / w ), it improved soil quality (viz pH, EC e , BD, and soil water holding capacity) and increased the yield of cucumber. Because of improved soil properties and crop yield, PS-BC550 at the rate of 4% ( w / w ) demonstrated a great potential for agricultural application while provisioning dual circular economic indicators in the form of diverting PS waste to an effective alternative of chemical fertilizer having intensive carbon footprints in cucumber production.

Keywords: peanut shell; biochar; pyrolysis temperature; soil ameliorants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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