Residual effect of biochar and summer legumes on soil physical properties and wheat growth

Abstract

Biochar, a carbon-rich solid material and legumes having numerous benefits to the soil-plant system gaining a keen interest as an innovative sustainable approach among the agriculture research community in many parts of the world especially in developing countries in order to enhance soil quality and ensure food security. Thus, with the same approach, we have carried out a field experiment to examine the residual effect of biochar application and summer legumes on soil physical properties and subsequent wheat crop growth at the Research Farm, The University of Agriculture Peshawar during winter 2016-2017. An experiment was designed in two-factor factorial randomized complete block design with three replications in summer 2016 in which three different summer legumes i.e. mungbean, sesbania, and cowpea were grown in the summer for the purpose of grain, green manuring and fodder, a fallow was also included with the purpose of control. Biochar was applied at the rate of 0, 5 and 10 tons ha-1. After the harvesting of summer legumes, sesbania biomass was completely incorporated into the soil while the biomass of other two legumes were removed. The experiment on subsequent wheat was on the same field layout of summer legumes. Both the treatments i.e. previously applied biochar especially 10 tons ha-1 and preceding summer legumes especially sesbania as well as their interaction showed a significant effect on the selected soil physical properties. Similarly, the response of wheat growth was also significant to both treatments but their interaction was non-significant. Thus, it was concluded that both the treatments had a significant effect on the soil physical properties and growth of wheat and should be included in the cropping system.

Field-based investigation of aged biochar coupled with summer legumes effect on wheat yield in Pakistan

“…The previously published research articles from this work reported that residual biochar, coupled with summer legumes significantly enhanced the fertility of the soil in terms of specific macro (N, P, K) and micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn), soil physical properties such as water-holding capacity, saturation percentage, reduced bulk density of soil and improved the growth of the wheat crop such as plant height, the number of grains per spike, spikes m -2 , and spike length. Keeping the advantages of all these previously published results in consideration, it is evident that aged biochar, coupled with summer legumes, significantly enhanced the yield of wheat crop (Rahim et al, 2019;Rahim et al, 2020).…”

“…The detailed information about materials and methods can be found in our recently published articles (Rahim et al, 2019;Rahim, Mian, Arif, Ahmad, & Khan, 2020). Briefly, Field-scale experiment for enhancing wheat yield with the aged effect of biochar and summer legumes were carried out on farmland located at the University of Agriculture Peshawar-Pakistan.…”

Soil fertility status as influenced by the carryover effect of biochar and summer legumes

“…Ali et al (2015) published that biochar significantly increased yield of wheat and soil fertility in two years study under wheat-maize-wheat cropping system. Comparably, Rahim et al (2019) published that biochar and legumes have pleasant effect on the physical properties of soil.…”

Cogon grass biochar amendment and Panicum coloratum planting improve selected properties of sandy soil under humid lowland tropical climatic conditions

“…Organic amendments have been shown to improve soil chemical and physical properties and increase yield of crops (e.g. Atkinson et al 2010;Gomez 2013;Rahim et al 2019).…”