Sugarcane waste straw biochar and its effects on calcareous soil and agronomic traits of okra
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S. I. BIOCHAR
Sugarcane waste straw biochar and its effects on calcareous soil and agronomic traits of okra Muhammad Riaz 1 & Mumtaz Khan 1 & Shafaqat Ali 2 & Muhammad Daud Khan 3 & Rehan Ahmad 1 & Muhammad Jamil Khan 1 & Muhammad Rizwan 2 Received: 1 October 2018 / Accepted: 23 November 2018 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2018
Abstract Biochar has been considered a safe soil additive to enhance soil fertility and agronomic traits of different crops. This study was conducted to explore the impacts of sugarcane waste straw biochar on soil characteristics and some agronomic traits of okra. The experiment was carried out with four treatments, i.e., control, sugarcane waste straw biochar (10 ton ha−1), farmyard manure (FYM, 10 ton ha−1), and chemical fertilizers (NPK; 120:100:80 kg ha−1) having three replications of each treatment. Soil samples were tested for texture, bulk density, particle density, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter content, nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), and extractable-P. The sugarcane waste straw biochar was characterized for plant major nutrient elements. The impact of various treatments was observed on soils and agronomic traits of okra like plant height, fruit size, fruit length, and yield of okra. Results revealed that sugarcane waste straw biochar expressed higher EC value and noticeable amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), and magnesium (Mg). The sugarcane waste straw biochar, in comparison with FYM and NPK, significantly improved the NO3-N, extractable-P, OM and EC of the calcareous soil, and reduced the soil bulk density. Furthermore, plant growth and yield parameters were significantly improved under biochar application over the control, FYM and NPK. Overall, sugarcane waste straw biochar proved to be a good alternative to conventional organic and inorganic fertilizers under calcareous soil conditions. Keywords Organic waste . Crop residues . Organic amendment . Nitrate nitrogen . Extractable-P
Introduction Biochar, a charcoal, is a carbon-rich product of pyrolysis, a process performed in oxygen-deficient conditions. The biochar is prepared as fine-grained charcoal from several organic materials such as plant remains, wood, organic manures, and other organic wastes, in specially-designed furnaces or kilns.
This article is part of the Topical Collection on Implications of Biochar Application to Soil Environment under Arid Conditions * Muhammad Rizwan [email protected] 1
Department of Environmental Science, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan 29050, Pakistan
2
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University, Allama Iqbal Road, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
3
Department of Biotechnology, KUST, Kohat 26000, Pakistan
Biochar is the main product of pyrolysis; however, biogases and bio-oils are also produced during the process which can be recycled for energy production. Several factors can affect the biochar quantity and quality such as pyrolysis temperature, feedstock, kiln design, and processing time. Researc
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