Effects of Poultry Manure and Biochar on Acrisol Soil Properties and Yield of Common Bean. A Short-Term Field Experiment

Abstract

Common bean is usually cropped under rainfed conditions and in soils with low pH and water retention, in the sub-humid and semiarid regions of Brazil. To improve soil conditions, smallholder farmers commonly use cattle manure. However, manure is available in limited amounts, insufficient to fertilize all cropping areas. Thus, other amendments, such as poultry manure (PM) and biochar (BC), have been proposed to increase soil water retention and pH. We evaluated the effects of BC (10, 20, and 40 t ha−1; BC10, BC20, and BC40, respectively), PM (5 t ha−1; PM), the combination of both amendments (BC10 + PM, BC20 + PM, and BC40 + PM) and an absolute control (Control), with no amendment, on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, and on common bean water use efficiency (WUE) and yield. The treatments had no effects on total organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, microbial biomass carbon, soil physical properties, and evapotranspiration. Treatment combination BC (10 t ha−1) + PM (5 t ha−1) significantly improved phosphorus concentration, enzymatic activities, WUE, and bean yield in this one-year experiment and it can be a viable management practice for smallholder farmers in the Brazilian sub-humid region. However, further investigations are required to study the long-term field effects of the best performing soil amendments.

Cattle Manure Fermented with Biochar and Humic Substances Improve the Crop Biomass, Microbiological Properties and Nutrient Status of Soil

“…Recent studies have focused on the benefits arising from the enrichment or coapplication of manure with biochar or humic substances [8,9]. Biochar is a charred organic material used to enhance soil fertility and to sequester carbon [10].…”

Effect of chicken manure and chemical fertilizer on the yield and qualities of white mugwort at dissimilar harvesting times

“…Interestingly, the results showed that the higher rate of chicken manure application improved the soil chemical properties by increasing the organic matter, total N, available P, and available K at all three harvest times, these effects were not found in the chemical fertilizer soil. Chicken manure can slowly supply the plant nutrients and also has a high organic matter content (559.30 g kg -1 ) which can improve soil’s physical properties as reported by Lima et al [ 17 ]. The soil applied with both fertilizers had available P between 122 to 274 mg kg -1 and available K between 48 to 228 mg kg -1 .…”

“…Poultry manure was also reported to release nitrogen slowly, which resulted in significantly lower nitrate accumulation in plants [ 16 ]. Organic fertilizers, such as poultry manure, have been found to improve soils physical, chemical, and biological properties, including bulk density [ 17 ], organic carbon [ 18 ], and microbial biomass [ 19 ]. However, at present, there has not been any report about the effect of different dosages of chicken manure and chemical fertilizer on the yield and quality of white mugwort.…”

Characterization of Pterocarpus macrocarpus (pradoo wood) biochar and its effect on the retention properties of sandy soils in Northeast Thailand

“…An increasing number of publications around the world have reported the effect of biochar amendments on all kind of soils under different climates (Adekiya et al, 2019; Al‐Wabel et al, 2018; Farhangi‐Abriz et al, 2021; Kavitha et al, 2018; Lima et al, 2018, 2021). Initially inspired by the Amazonian dark soils, ‘Terra Preta do Indio’, it is advocated to restore the fertility of tropical soils and especially in acidic sandy soils (Glaser & Birk, 2012; Lehmann et al, 2006; Lima et al, 2018; Silva et al, 2021).…”

“…Moreover, in the context of climate change with forecast increases in extreme rainfall events and longer dry periods, it is essential to hold water and nutrients in order to conserve or increase soil fertility. To preserve and maximize the efficiency of scarce water and nutrient resources of these marginal lands, the use of biochar can be a promising sustainable solution (de Melo Carvalho et al, 2014;Dharmakeerthi et al, 2010;Lima et al, 2018Lima et al, , 2021Medeiros et al, 2020;Silva et al, 2021).…”