TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of integrated application of biochar and nitrogen fertilizers on maize growth and nitrogen recovery in alkaline calcareous soil
AU - Sarfraz, Rubab
AU - Shakoor, Awais
AU - Abdullah, Muhammad
AU - Arooj, Ammara
AU - Hussain, Azha
AU - Xing, Shihe
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Biochar application has been considered as a rich source of carbon which helps to improve the physico-chemical properties and fertility of the soil. In Pakistan, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer is considered a serious problem, so it is of vital importance to examine the effect of biochar on soil with varying doses of nitrogen fertilizer. We hypothesized that addition of biochar to an alkaline calcareous soil could improve not only soil quality and crop yield but also nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), reducing the loss of nitrogen (N) in the form of denitrification, ammonia volatilization, and nitrate leaching. A pot experiment was conducted under 2-factorial completely randomized design having three replications to evaluate the NUE in biochar amended calcareous soil. Biochar was applied at the rate of 0%, 1% and 2% (w/w) in pots filled with 17 kg of soil using various levels of N (0%, 50% and 100% of recommended dose) on maize (Zea mays L.). Several soil quality indicators, uptake, and yield of maize were monitored. Biochar application significantly decreased soil pH, increased water-holding capacity, total organic carbon, maize yield, stomatal conductance, and nitrogen uptake in plant. The results of the study indicated that addition of biochar could not only decrease the use of inorganic fertilizers by improving its quality and yield as in our case biochar at the rate of 1% and N at the rate of 50% provided optimum output minimizing the economic cost eventually.
AB - Biochar application has been considered as a rich source of carbon which helps to improve the physico-chemical properties and fertility of the soil. In Pakistan, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer is considered a serious problem, so it is of vital importance to examine the effect of biochar on soil with varying doses of nitrogen fertilizer. We hypothesized that addition of biochar to an alkaline calcareous soil could improve not only soil quality and crop yield but also nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), reducing the loss of nitrogen (N) in the form of denitrification, ammonia volatilization, and nitrate leaching. A pot experiment was conducted under 2-factorial completely randomized design having three replications to evaluate the NUE in biochar amended calcareous soil. Biochar was applied at the rate of 0%, 1% and 2% (w/w) in pots filled with 17 kg of soil using various levels of N (0%, 50% and 100% of recommended dose) on maize (Zea mays L.). Several soil quality indicators, uptake, and yield of maize were monitored. Biochar application significantly decreased soil pH, increased water-holding capacity, total organic carbon, maize yield, stomatal conductance, and nitrogen uptake in plant. The results of the study indicated that addition of biochar could not only decrease the use of inorganic fertilizers by improving its quality and yield as in our case biochar at the rate of 1% and N at the rate of 50% provided optimum output minimizing the economic cost eventually.
UR - https://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:70710
U2 - 10.1080/00380768.2017.1376225
DO - 10.1080/00380768.2017.1376225
M3 - Article
SN - 0038-0768
VL - 63
SP - 488
EP - 498
JO - Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
JF - Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
IS - 5
ER -