Integrated use of biochar and compost to improve soil microbial activity, nutrient availability, and plant growth in arid soil

Akmal, Muhammad; Maqbool, Zubaira; Khan, Khalid Saifullah; Hussain, Qaiser; Ijaz, Shahzada Sohail; Iqbal, Muhammad; Aziz, Irfan; Hussain, Amjad; Abbas, Muhammad Subtain; Rafa, Hafeez Ullah

doi:10.1007/s12517-019-4414-0

Cited by 26 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…For urase, the activity was increased by 105% and 83.8% in clay and sandy soil, respectively, compared to the control. This completely matches with the results obtained by Akmal et al [22], who observed increases in enzymatic activity in greenhouse tomatoes following soil amendment with biochar, including alkaline phosphatase, urease and dehydrogenase, which led to increases in plant N, P and content. Jain et al [45] reported an increase in the activity of enzyme (β-glucosidase) after 45 and 90 days.…”

Section: Effect Of Biochar On Enzyme Activitiessupporting

confidence: 92%

“…However, the response of soil microorganisms to soil amendment with biochar may vary depending on soils and agricultural practices [21]. Only a few studies have focused on biochar's effects on N 2 fixation of leguminous crops [22,23]. As far as we know, little information is available on the effect of biochar on the nitrogen fixation process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals

Haddad

Lemanowicz

2021

Energies

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Synchronous effects of biochar on heavy metals stress, microbial activity and nodulation process in the soil are rarely addressed. This work studied the effects, under greenhouse conditions, of selected heavy metals Cd2+, Pb2+ and Ni2+ on soybean plants grown in two different soils amended with biochar, and studied their effect on the microbial and enzymatic activity. As a result of the interference between heavy metals and biochar, biochar overcame heavy metal problems and maintained a microbial population of major groups (bacteria–fungi). There was an increase in the degree of resistance (RS) of the major microbial groups to heavy metals when biochar was added to the soil under study. Numbers of bacterial nodules significantly increased, particularly by using the higher rate of biochar compared to the control, either by adding biochar alone or by mixing it with the selected heavy metals. The arginase activity was increased by 25.5% and 37.1% in clay and sandy soil, respectively, compared to the control. For urease (UR), the activity was increased by 105% and 83.8% in clay and sandy soil, respectively, compared to the control. As a result, considerations of using biochar as a soil amendment should be first priority.

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Section: Effect Of Biochar On Enzyme Activitiessupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals

Haddad

Lemanowicz

2021

Energies

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“…as well as processing conditions especially the temperature of pyrolysis 21 – 23 . Recent studies have revealed that the application of biochar in combination with compost has synergistic effects on growth and nutrient uptake by plants 24 , 25 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of biochar, compost and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in the management of tomato early blight disease

Rasool

Akhter

Soja

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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The individual role of biochar, compost and PGPR has been widely studied in increasing the productivity of plants by inducing resistance against phyto-pathogens. However, the knowledge on combined effect of biochar and PGPR on plant health and management of foliar pathogens is still at juvenile stage. The effect of green waste biochar (GWB) and wood biochar (WB), together with compost (Comp) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR; Bacillus subtilis) was examined on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) physiology and Alternaria solani development both in vivo and in vitro. Tomato plants were raised in potting mixture modified with only compost (Comp) at application rate of 20% (v/v), and along with WB and GWB at application rate of 3 and 6% (v/v), each separately, in combination with or without B. subtilis. In comparison with WB amended soil substrate, percentage disease index was significantly reduced in GWB amended treatments (Comp + 6%GWB and Comp + 3%GWB; 48.21 and 35.6%, respectively). Whereas, in the presence of B. subtilis disease suppression was also maximum (up to 80%) in the substrate containing GWB. Tomato plant growth and physiological parameters were significantly higher in treatment containing GWB (6%) alone as well as in combination with PGPR. Alternaria solani mycelial growth inhibition was less than 50% in comp, WB and GWB amended growth media, whereas B. subtilis induced maximum inhibition (55.75%). Conclusively, the variable impact of WB, GWB and subsequently their concentrations in the soil substrate was evident on early blight development and plant physiology. To our knowledge, this is the first report implying biochar in synergism with PGPR to hinder the early blight development in tomatoes.

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“…Attempts to examine this effect under different soil types, crops, biochar and compost types and climates often found the highest rate of biochar and compost combinations substantially increased crop yields and improved soil properties (Agegnehu et al 2017;Di et al 2019;Doan et al 2015;Kammann et al 2016;Manolikaki and Diamadopoulos 2019;Sadegh-Zadeh et al 2018). Recent studies have ascertained that the combination is superior to the amendments on their own due to increased water-holding capacity, increased nutrient retention and nutrient use efficiency (especially N), improved soil pH and CEC, decreased soil bulk density, increased soil macroaggregates, and suppressed disease (Agegnehu et al 2015(Agegnehu et al , 2016aAkmal et al 2019;Cao et al 2018;Jien et al 2018;Khorram et al 2019;Liu et al 2019;McDonald et al 2019;Novak et al 2019;Sánchez-Monedero et al 2019). In Hawaii, several biochar and compost combinations significantly increased soil pH, reduced Al, Mn and Fe in the Oxisol, and for both the Oxisol and Ultisol, increased P, K and Ca, overcoming many plant limitations to growth (Berek et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface-applied or incorporated biochar and compost combination improves soil fertility, Chinese cabbage and papaya biomass

Cox

Hue

Ahmad

et al. 2021

Biochar

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Many Hawaiian agricultural soils are acidic with low-nutrient retention; therefore, organic soil amendments are often used to improve soil properties and increase yields. Amendments can be incorporated for annual crops, but perennial orchards need surface application to avoid damaging surface roots. Pot trials compared responses to incorporated (IBC) or surface-applied (SBC) combination of hardwood biochar and chicken manure compost (4% v/v of each amendment) added to an Andisol and Oxisol. Soil pH was increased by 0.4–1.1 units in IBC and by 0.2–0.5 for SBC in the 0–10 cm soil layer. Both SBC and IBC increased soil total N, extractable P, Ca and Mg in the 0–10 cm soil layer. Soil pH, total C and extractable Ca were also higher in the 10–20 cm soil layer for IBC soil, indicating movement and/or leaching of amendments. Chinese cabbage biomass was 18–70% higher in the IBC and 14–47% higher in the SBC than that in the unamended soil, while papaya biomass was 23% and 19% higher in SBC and IBC, respectively. There was a greater response in the more acidic Andisol soil, with larger improvements in soil pH, plant nutrient uptake and root biomass than the Oxisol. Surface application was as effective in increasing plant growth as the incorporated amendment, providing evidence for farm scale assessment. Biochar and compost are recommended for use in tropical soils, and surface application may be beneficial to annual and perennial crops.

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Integrated use of biochar and compost to improve soil microbial activity, nutrient availability, and plant growth in arid soil

Cited by 26 publications

References 12 publications

Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals

Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals

Role of biochar, compost and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in the management of tomato early blight disease

Surface-applied or incorporated biochar and compost combination improves soil fertility, Chinese cabbage and papaya biomass

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