Biochar and conservation tillage affect the agronomic performance and fatty acid composition of Nigella sativa L. under both irrigated and dryland conditions

Abstract

Soils in arid and semi-arid regions like Iran have suffered greatly from low organic matter content and low water availability. Traditional tillage and the overuse of chemical fertilizers are accelerating the problems in the region. So, sensible and sustainable strategies such as conservation tillage and natural organic inputs are becoming increasingly important to enhance organic matter and humidity in the soil and grow high-quality crops in agroecosystems. Thus, in 2019 and 2020, a split-split plot arrangement within a randomized complete block design was conducted in Iran to assess the effects of irrigated conditions, tillage systems, and biochar on the aforementioned traits. There were two irrigation conditions (irrigated and dryland) as the main plots, three tillage methods (conventional, minimum, and no-tillage) as sub-plots, and two application rates for biochar (0 and 15 ton ha−1) as sub-sub plots. The findings indicated that biochar application enhanced grain yield across all tillage methods under both irrigation conditions. Biochar with minimum tillage improved oil yield by 23% and 29% compared to those that did not use biochar under the dryland and irrigated conditions, respectively. Moreover, oil yield was higher in 2020 than in 2019 for all tillage systems and biochar rates. The main components of Nigella sativa L. oil belong to linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Minimum tillage with biochar under irrigated conditions in 2020 and no-tillage without biochar under dryland conditions in 2019 had the most (59%) and the least linoleic acid (53%), respectively. Conventional, minimum, and no-tillage with biochar in dryland conditions significantly increased linoleic acid by 2%, 3%, and 5% compared to those without biochar in 2020, respectively. In general, adopting biochar with minimum tillage produced the best outcomes for Nigella sativa L. yield, and grain oil quality under both irrigation conditions. It is recommended that farmers incorporate these practices to produce high-quality Nigella sativa L. in sustainable agricultural systems.