Response of Cellulose Decomposition and Nodulation in Soils Amended with Biochar for Peri-Urban Agriculture

Samir A. Haddad (), Hossam Abdelmageed, Abdelaziz Saleh, Samia Ahmed, Mohieyeddin M. Abd El-Azeim, Joanna Lemanowicz, Gaber E. Eldesoky and Omar Saad
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Samir A. Haddad: Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Hossam Abdelmageed: Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Abdelaziz Saleh: Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Samia Ahmed: Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Mohieyeddin M. Abd El-Azeim: Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Joanna Lemanowicz: Department of Biogeochemistry and Soil Science, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-029 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Gaber E. Eldesoky: Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Omar Saad: Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-18

Abstract: Peri-urban agriculture is becoming a potential step to promote sustainable and environmental food production systems. Our aim was to study the effect of biochar application at various rates on faba bean growth, cellulose decomposition, nodulation, and selected enzyme activities associated with carbon cycling in clay and sandy soils collected from peri-urban agricultural areas near the city of El-Minia, Egypt. To achieve this aim, incubation and pot experiments were conducted under controlled greenhouse conditions using clay and sandy soil. Among the studied treatments, using biochar at the rate of 3 kg/sq·m was the most effective soil amendment followed by biochar at the rate of 2 kg/sq·m. At 60 days of incubation, the count of cellulose-decomposing microorganisms reached a high level in both clay and sandy soil, and then decreased after 90 days, regardless of the biochar rate. The response of the cellulose-decomposer ratio ( F cd / B cd ) was positively correlated with biochar rates and incubation time. The obtained results showed significant increases in fresh and dry weight in clay soil compared to sandy soil. In any case, the use of biochar as a soil amendment enhanced soil health, soil microbial communities, and increased cellulose-decomposing microorganisms, thus improving faba bean nodulation and growth.

Keywords: peri-urban; biochar; cellulose; nodulation; enzyme activity; faba beans (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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