Effects of biochar and biofertilizer on groundnut production: a perspective for environmental sustainability in Bangladesh

Abstract

Regular large-scale application of fertilizers, pesticides, and mulching can lead to soil health degradation and increase negative environmental impacts, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Considering these factors by applying biochar and biofertilizer (rhizobium inoculants) in groundnut production, a novel experiment was conducted for increasing soil fertility, groundnut productivity, and soil carbon stock in Bangladesh's Charland agroecosystems. The two-year experiment involved seven treatments consisting of T1 (control), T2 (soil test based (STB) fertilizer dose following fertilizer recommendation guide (FRG) 2018), T3 ((T2 minus nitrogen fertilizer) + biofertilizer), T4 (T3 + biochar), T5 (T2 + biochar), T6 (only biofertilizer), and T7 (only biochar). The result showed that the T4 treatment had the highest nodule counts (78.17 plant−1), nodule weights (122.97 mg plant−1), root weight (1.47 g plant−1) and nut yields (2.30 t ha−1), all of which were statistically identical compared to the other treatments. In addition, the T3 treatment had the highest recorded shoot weight (35.47 g plant−1), whereas the control T1 treatment had the lowest (16.50 g plant−1) shoot weight. Results showed that biochar-based rhizobium inoculants increased nodulation, root weight, shoot weight, nut yield and soil nutrient uptake in plant growth at all four stages (seedling, flowering, pod formation and harvesting). The result revealed that biochar-based rhizobium inoculants modulated the abundance of functional microbes through increased soil nitrification and reduced denitrification compared to the N-use treatments. Moreover, this interactive system significantly improved soil NO3−, leading to an increase in N uptake, thereby promoting plant growth and increasing nut yield. Considering all parameters, the soil amended biochar as a carrier of rhizobium inoculants had the highest soil organic carbon (SOC) stock (1.76 t ha−1), about 26% higher than other treatments, which saved a considerable amount of 6.6 kg CO2eq ha−1 GHG emissions and aided in promoting environmental sustainability towards climate-smart agriculture. Graphical Abstract

Sustainable manufacture and application of biochar to improve soil properties and remediate soil contaminated with organic impurities: a systematic review

“…In another study, soil invertase activity positively correlated with SOC, available phosphorus, and nitrogen (Bamdad et al, 2022). Pathy et al (2020) reported increased phosphatase activity with biochar application, indicating an increased fraction of bioavailable P (Shikha et al, 2023). Aboughaly and Fattah (2023) showed that almond-derived biochar positively impacted urease and dehydrogenase activities.…”

Biochar mitigates the mineralization of allochthonous organic matter and global warming potential of saltmarshes by influencing functional bacteria

“…Once saltmarshes are degraded, the liable organic carbon stored in the sediment is preferentially to be decomposed and released as greenhouse gases (Yang et al 2021;Rahman et al 2021). Currently, biochar is widely considered as an effective soil amendment for mitigating climate change (Jiang et al 2023;Shikha et al 2023). Therefore, we suspect that adding biochar to saltmarshes would also alleviate the increasing global warming potential of saltmarsh degradation.…”

“…Therefore, we suspect that adding biochar to saltmarshes would also alleviate the increasing global warming potential of saltmarsh degradation. Biochar is a carbon-rich and porous material produced by pyrolysis or hydrothermal carbonization of biomass (Feng et al 2022), and it contains approximately more than 50% carbon that can be stably stored in the soil (Shikha et al 2023). Moreover, biochar has been demonstrated to alter the soil microbial community structure (Ma et al 2023;Qiu et al 2023), which could indirectly affect the mineralization and immobilization of soil organic carbon (SOC) (Qiu et al 2023).…”

An analytical characterization study on biofuel obtained from pyrolysis of Madhuca longifolia residues

“…The 3Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle—contribute to long-term environmental development. Because forestry wastes are abundant in biomaterials, if employed, they might become the backbone of sustainable development, producing a variety of opportunities for future generations 30 . Carrasco et al 31 carried out a pyrolysis test using Maine forest residues.…”