Biochar, poultry manure and NPK fertilizer: sole and combine application effects on soil properties and ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) performance in a tropical Alfisol

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Biochar has a low chemical composition and is recalcitrant to degradation. For good soil fertility and nutrient use efficiency of crops it becomes imperative that addition of a fast releasing nutrient source to biochar be sought. Therefore, studies were conducted in 2017 and 2018 to evaluate the effects of biochar with poultry manure (PM) and NPK fertilizer on soil properties, growth and yield of ginger. Treatments evaluated were: biochar applied alone at 15 t ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> , PM applied alone at 15 t ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup>, NPK fertilizer applied alone at 200 kg ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup>, biochar applied at 15 t ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> with poultry manure applied at 15 t ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> (B+PM), biochar applied at 15 t ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> with NPK fertilizer applied at 200 kg ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> (B+NPK) and a control with no amendment whatsoever. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replications. Biochar, PM, NPK fertilizer alone or B+PM and B+NPK improved soil physical and chemical properties, growth and yield of ginger compared to no amendment (control). NPK fertilizer did not improve soil physical properties nor increased pH, OM, Ca and Mg significantly. B+PM and B+NPK improved soil physical and chemical properties, growth and ginger yield compared to their sole forms. Although B+PM had better soil physical properties, B+NPK increased yield and growth of ginger compared to B+PM. B+NPK increased the yield of ginger by 12.2% and 10.6% in 2017 and 2018, respectively compared with B+PM. B+NPK also increased the yield of ginger by 49.2% and 50.3% in 2017 and 2018, respectively compared to biochar alone. This was related to high presence of nutrients in B+NPK especially N and K which are important for ginger rhizome formation.</jats:p>

Effect of tillage, biochar, poultry manure and NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer, and their mixture on soil properties, growth and carrot (Daucus carota L.) yield under tropical conditions

“…This could be attributed to increased availability of organic matter and high concentrations of alkali metals and exchangeable basic cations (Ca, Mg, K and Na) present in the biochar and poultry manure ash fractions which act as liming agents in acidic soils. Apart from the direct release of mineral nutrients, biochar and poultry manure have been shown to increase soil pH and microbial activity (Subedi et al, 2016;Adekiya et al, 2019Adekiya et al, , 2020. The increases in soil N, P, K, Ca and Mg observed in NPK fertilizer alone compared to the control, could be due to decomposition of organic matter and mineralization of its nutrients.…”

“…Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced during pyrolysis process that is a thermochemical decomposition of biomass with a temperature about 700 C in the absence or limited supply of oxygen (Lehmann and Joseph, 2015). It has higher pore space, negative surface charge and surface area (Lehmann and Joseph, 2015), higher water holding capacity, reduced soil bulk density (Adekiya et al, 2019) and reduced nutrients losses, thereby offering the possibility of improving yields (Adekiya et al 2019(Adekiya et al , 2020. Nguyen et al (2017) reported that through pyrolysis process, pure organic waste/material is converted into a valuable product with distinctive physicochemical properties that can contribute to good soil environment for better crop performance.…”

“…Poultry manure is a key resource in increasing and maintaining soil fertility, by providing nutrients, increasing soil organic matter, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and pH (acid soils), improving soil physical properties like water-holding capacity (WHC) and reducing soil erosion (Adeleye et al, 2010). Poultry manure is well known for its soil quality benefits including decreasing soil bulk density and increasing water holding capacity, nutrient input and retention, and biodiversity, which is mostly in response to increased soil organic matter (Adekiya et al, 2019(Adekiya et al, , 2020. Organic amendments, particularly poultry manure, can thus replace or supplement mineral fertilizers and lime in reversing soil degradation.…”

Effects of cow dung and wood biochars and green manure on soil fertility and tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) performance on a savanna Alfisol

“…Organic amendments, such as biochar and green manure, could be a useful strategy to sustainably maintain or increase soil organic matter content, preserve the physical nature of the soil and improve soil fertility and crop yield. Biochar is the product of the thermochemical conversion of organic materials with a small amount of oxygen at high, low, or intermediate temperatures 9 . Biochar is stable, rich in nutrients, and it can persist in soil for many years 10 , 11 .…”

“…Similarly, biochar has been reported to improve soil fertility, it may however not be good as the only nutrient supplier due to its poor nutrient composition and its slow rate of degradation 9 . Therefore, it is imperative to find a fast decomposing amendment source to be added to biochar.…”