The Effects of Mixed Hardwood Biochar, Mycorrhizae, and Fertigation on Container Tomato and Pepper Plant Growth

Yu, Ping; Li, Qiansheng; Huang, Lan; Qin, Kuan; Niu, Genhua; Gu, Mengmeng

doi:10.3390/su12177072

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…The addition of biochar to peat-based media increases porosity in substrates, as well as cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH, and potassium [18,19]. The average price of biochar is almost half as the price of peat moss [20]. Biochar helps to lower the economic cost used to produce horticultural crops in nursery industries by replacing the peat moss up to certain levels [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The average price of biochar is almost half as the price of peat moss [20]. Biochar helps to lower the economic cost used to produce horticultural crops in nursery industries by replacing the peat moss up to certain levels [20]. The production cost of biochar can also be lowered if it can be produced onsite with local resources and avoid long distance transportation [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hardwood biochar is mainly used as amendment in greenhouse pot cultivation as it has many of the desired physical and chemical properties required. Hardwood biochar usage is more prevalent in greenhouse horticultural crops in as well as field production [20,21,24,25]. In a study conducted by Ali and Mjeed [9], Chrysanthemum plants grown with eucalyptus biochar had increased plant height, fresh weight, and more buds and flowers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Negative Effects of High Rates of Biochar on Violas Can Be Counteracted with Fertilizer

Regmi

Singh

Moustaid‐Moussa

et al. 2022

Plants

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Increasing costs and environmental issues regarding excessive use of peat moss is impacting the horticultural industry. Biochar is a valuable substrate additive that has the potential to reduce the use of peatmoss in greenhouse production. However, its varying effects on ornamentals requires that individual species and cultivars of crops must be evaluated to determine the threshold for benefits. Viola cornuta is a high value ornamental crop; however, information on how different rates of biochar rates affect productivity and physiology of Viola cultivars in container production is not known. To determine if biochar rates could increase the productivity of Viola, we mixed a peat-based substrate with 10, 25, and 50% (w:w) hardwood biochar in two studies on four cultivars. Without fertilizers, 10 and 25% biochar improved plant biomass, growth, root length, and flowering, but 50% biochar was found to have negative effects on plant growth and flowering. Cultivars varied in their response to biochar rates. When fertilizer was applied in the second experiment, biochar rates did not impact growth parameters or flowering. These results suggest that up to 25% biochar can be used in Viola production without detrimental impacts. However, 50% biochar can be used with the addition of fertilizer without negatively affecting plant growth. Biochar can have a short-term impact on the growth characteristics of Viola plants in container production, but fertilization and growing period of Viola may influence these effects. These results indicate that biochar could be the suitable replacement for peat moss, with up to 50% biochar rate in Viola production reducing the environmental and economic burden for peat moss.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Negative Effects of High Rates of Biochar on Violas Can Be Counteracted with Fertilizer

Regmi

Singh

Moustaid‐Moussa

et al. 2022

Plants

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“…Improvement in the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crops can not only reduce planting costs, but also reduce energy consumption related to chemical fertilizer production, which fundamentally alleviates global climate change [ 58 , 59 ]. Combined application of biochar and chemical nitrogen fertilizer (e.g., urea) can effectively raise crop yield and NUE by slowing down nitrogen release, regulating microbial diversity, and stimulating nitrification while inhibiting denitrification, as compared with applying chemical fertilizer as the sole nitrogen source [ 60 – 62 ]. There are many studies focused on the increased nitrogen agronomic efficiency resulted from the improved soil nitrogen availability with biochar application, but there are few reports on molecular signals or root phenotypes related to nitrogen availability increase in rhizosphere [ 63 , 64 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biochar induced improvement in root system architecture enhances nutrient assimilation by cotton plant seedlings

et al. 2021

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Background Raising nitrogen use efficiency of crops by improving root system architecture is highly essential not only to reduce costs of agricultural production but also to mitigate climate change. The physiological mechanisms of how biochar affects nitrogen assimilation by crop seedlings have not been well elucidated. Results Here, we report changes in root system architecture, activities of the key enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation, and cytokinin (CTK) at the seedling stage of cotton with reduced urea usage and biochar application at different soil layers (0–10 cm and 10–20 cm). Active root absorption area, fresh weight, and nitrogen agronomic efficiency increased significantly when urea usage was reduced by 25% and biochar was applied in the surface soil layer. Glutamine oxoglutarate amino transferase (GOGAT) activity was closely related to the application depth of urea/biochar, and it increased when urea/biochar was applied in the 0–10 cm layer. Glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity (GPT) increased significantly as well. Nitrate reductase (NR) activity was stimulated by CTK in the very fine roots but inhibited in the fine roots. In addition, AMT1;1, gdh3, and gdh2 were significantly up-regulated in the very fine roots when urea usage was reduced by 25% and biochar was applied. Conclusion Nitrogen assimilation efficiency was significantly affected when urea usage was reduced by 25% and biochar was applied in the surface soil layer at the seedling stage of cotton. The co-expression of gdh3 and gdh2 in the fine roots increased nitrogen agronomic efficiency. The synergistic expression of the ammonium transporter gene and gdh3 suggests that biochar may be beneficial to amino acid metabolism.

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“…Biochar has been used as a soil amendment due to its positive effects on altering the biological and physicochemical properties of soils 8 , it also has the potential use as a substrate in container nurseries to improve substrate water and nutrient holding capacity, ameliorate acidity, and provide suitable environments for plant growth 9,10 . Studies had shown that biochar could partially replace peat moss-based substrate for greenhouse ornamental and vegetable plants production 11,12 or used as an additional amendment in substrate to improve crop growth, yield, and quality [13][14][15][16] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biochar reduces containerized pepper blight caused by Phytophthora capsici

Yu,

Qin,

Crosby

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Phytophthora blight caused by Phytophthora capsici is a serious disease affecting a wide range of plants. Biochar as a soil amendment could partially replace peat moss and has the potential to suppress plant diseases, but its effects on controlling phytophthora blight of container-grown peppers have less been explored, especially in combination of biological control using Trichoderma. In vitro (petri dish) and in vivo (greenhouse) studies were conducted to test sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBB) and mixed hardwood biochar (HB) controlling effects on pepper phytophthora blight disease with and without Trichoderma. Sugarcane bagasse biochar and HB were blended with the commercial substrate (CS, peat-based) at 10% (SBB10, by volume), and 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% (HB10, HB30, HB50, and HB70, by volume), respectively, and CS (CS100) was used as the control. Both in vitro and in vivo studies used randomized complete block design with three treatment factors: pathogen (without or with inoculation of P. capsici), biochar (different biochar treatments), and Trichoderma (without or with inoculation). In vitro results showed that Trichoderma inhibited P. capsici growth while biochar did not have significant beneficial effects. In vivo results showed that plants grown in HB30 and HB50 had similar or higher plant growth index and shoot dry weight than the control regardless of pathogen presence. In the presence of the pathogen, plants grown in HB30, HB50, and HB70 had significantly lower disease severity, and disease incidence ratings than the control, while Trichoderma did not show beneficial effects on controlling the disease. In conclusion, HB replacing 30% and 50% peat moss in substrate could reduce pepper blight disease caused by P. capsici without negatively affecting plant growth.

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The Effects of Mixed Hardwood Biochar, Mycorrhizae, and Fertigation on Container Tomato and Pepper Plant Growth

Cited by 8 publications

References 50 publications

The Negative Effects of High Rates of Biochar on Violas Can Be Counteracted with Fertilizer

The Negative Effects of High Rates of Biochar on Violas Can Be Counteracted with Fertilizer

Biochar induced improvement in root system architecture enhances nutrient assimilation by cotton plant seedlings

Biochar reduces containerized pepper blight caused by Phytophthora capsici

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