Preparation and Characterization of Biochar and Their Effect on Cell Division

Abstract

The main objectives of the current study are preparing and characterization of different sources of biochar from maize, rice, and farm residues; an application of biochar with wheat seeds in soils to determine the effect on germination and other testes and study the effect of biochar on mitotic division and chromosomal aberrations. For biochar generated from straw rice, the results showed a high percentage of carbon compared with the other elements. The sample recorded many elements such as Carbon, Oxygen, Magnesium, Silicon, Potassium and Calcium. While the biochar from maize stalk includes higher elements compared with the rice straw biochar, the highest two elements were Carbon and Silicon, respectively. Finally, for biochar from tree residues, the analysis of the elements showed an increase in Carbon, Calcium and Oxygen, respectively compared with the other biochar types the Calcium was higher. During the current study, different biochar levels and sources effect were tested on the cell division and mitotic index besides their effect on chromosomal aberration on wheat root tips. The wheat root tips were collected and examined under microscopic (100x) to detect the several mitosis phases such as prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, in addition to cytokinesis. The chromosomal aberrations were observed and detected to show the effect of different biochar levels and sources such as stickiness, lagging chromosome bridge, multinuclei, ergon, abnormal prophase, abnormal metaphase, abnormal anaphase, elongation of nucleus content and gab chromosome.