Potential of Biochar-Based Organic Fertilizers on Increasing Soil Fertility, Available Nutrients, and Okra Productivity in Slightly Acidic Sandy Loam Soil
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Experimental Site
2.2. Experimental Set Up and Cultivation Practices
2.3. Agronomic and Yield Parameters
2.4. Biochar and Soil Analysis
2.5. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Soil Properties
3.2. Plant Growth Parameters
3.3. Fruit Yield
3.4. Relationship between Soil Properties and Fruit Yield
4. Discussion
4.1. Soil Properties
4.2. Plant Growth Parameters
4.3. Fruit Yield
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Climate Parameters | May | June | July |
---|---|---|---|
Maximum Temperature | 28.5 °C | 28.3 °C | 28 °C |
Minimum Temperature | 16.5 °C | 20 °C | 20.5 °C |
Precipitation | 49 mm | 77.3 mm | 177 mm |
Treatments | Biochar Input (kg ha−1) | Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Inputs (kg or L ha−1) | Biochar Input (gm pot−1) | Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Inputs (gm or mL pot−1) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Control (CK) | 0 | Control | 0 | Control |
Recommended NPK fertilizers (F) | 0 | 200:180:80 NPK | 0 | 0.0892:0.080:0.035 NPK |
NPK fertilizer-enriched biochar (BFW) | 10,000 | 200:180:80 NPK + 80,640 L water | 44.6 gm | 0.0892:0.080:0.035 NPK + 360 mL water |
NPK fertilizer blended with biochar (BF) | 10,000 | 200:180:80 NPK | 44.6 gm | 0.0892:0.080:0.035 NPK |
Cow urine-enriched biochar (BCU) | 10,000 | 80,640 L Cow urine | 44.6 gm | 360 mL Cow urine |
Vermicompost blended with biochar (BV) | 10,000 | 10,000 kg Vermicompost | 44.6 gm | 44.6 gm Vermicompost |
Goat manure blended with biochar (BM) | 10,000 | 10,000 kg Goat Manure | 44.6 gm | 44.6 gm Goat Manure |
Soil Parameters | Results | Biochar | Analytical Method |
---|---|---|---|
pH | 5.61 | 9.58 | Soil: Water ratio of 1:2 |
Texture | Sandy Loam | - | Hydrometer |
Organic Matter (%) | 2.12 | - | Walkley and Black 1934 |
Organic Carbon (%) | 1.22 | 13.5 | |
Total Nitrogen (%) | 0.12 | 0.77 | Kjeldahl Digestion and Distillation |
Available Phosphorous (kg ha−1) | 12.10 | - | Modified Olsen’s Bicarbonate |
Available Potassium (kg ha−1) | 102.3 | - | Ammonium Acetate and Flame Photometer |
Cation exchange capacity (cmolc kg−1) | - | 19.1 | Neutral Ammonium Acetate |
Treatments | pH | Organic Matter (%) | Organic Carbon (%) | Total Nitrogen (%) | Available Phosphorous (kg ha−1) | Available Potassium (kg ha−1) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CK | 5.63 ± 0.06 d | 2.30 ± 0.39 c | 1.33 ± 0.23 c | 0.13 ± 0.01 e | 23.45 ± 12.05 d | 103.09 ± 1.35 d |
F | 5.94 ± 0.38 cd | 2.91 ± 0.32 bc | 1.69 ± 0.18 bc | 0.15 ± 0.03 e | 36.54 ± 1.68 cd | 121.58 ± 0.75 d |
BFW | 6.08 ± 0.04 bc | 3.25 ± 0.04 abc | 1.88 ± 0.02 abc | 0.16 ± 0.02 de | 38.91 ± 1.38 bc | 242.81 ± 2.10 c |
BF | 6.12 ± 0.02 bc | 3.72 ± 0.26 ab | 2.15 ± 0.16 ab | 0.20 ± 0.02 cd | 41.91 ± 0.53 bc | 250.32 ± 1.84 c |
BCU | 6.47 ± 0.05 ab | 3.39 ± 0.72 ab | 1.96 ± 0.42 ab | 0.25 ± 0.01 ab | 46.91 ± 0.41 bc | 234.38 ± 5.56 c |
BV | 6.61 ± 0.04 a | 3.95 ± 0.38 ab | 2.28 ± 0.23 ab | 0.23 ± 0.02 bc | 51.62 ± 1.27 b | 353.58 ± 29.85 b |
BM | 6.80 ± 0.07 a | 4.16 ± 0.09 a | 2.41 ± 0.05 a | 0.28 ± 0.01 a | 75.53 ± 4.52 a | 407.83 ± 20.97 a |
Grand Mean | 6.24 | 3.38 | 1.96 | 0.20 | 146.98 | 244.80 |
S.E.M. | 0.12 | 0.30 | 0.18 | 0.01 | 10.88 | 11.43 |
CV% | 2.38 | 11.16 | 11.14 | 8 | 9.07 | 5.72 |
p-value | 0.0000 | 0.0005 | 0.0005 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
f-value | 22.74 | 8.56 | 8.59 | 37.75 | 76.28 | 188.32 |
LSD | 0.42 | 1.05 | 0.61 | 0.04 | 37.15 | 39.03 |
Treatments | Average Fruit Length (gm) | Average Fruit Diameter (mm) | Average Fruit Weight (gm) | Number of Fruits per Pot (number) | Days to First Harvest (d) | Harvesting Period (d) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CK | 10.71 ± 0.71 a | 14.01 ± 1.16 a | 10.25 ± 0.03 d | 10 ± 0 d | 63.5 ± 2.5 a | 24 ± 1 c |
F | 11.28 ± 0.46 a | 15.17 ± 0.12 a | 13.23 ± 0.11 ab | 10.5 ± 0.5 cd | 62 ± 2 a | 25 ± 3 c |
BFW | 11.01 ± 0.37 a | 15.08 ± 0.43 a | 11.44 ± 0.12 c | 11.5 ± 2.5 cd | 57.17 ± 0.17 c | 31 ± 1 ab |
BF | 10.78 ± 0.14 a | 15.2 ± 0.19 a | 12.54 ± 0.02 b | 10.5 ± 0.5 cd | 61.33 ± 1 ab | 27.5 ± 0.5 bc |
BCU | 11.1 ± 0.77 a | 15.18 ± 0.45 a | 11.23 ± 0.06 cd | 15 ± 0 ab | 57.25 ± 0.25 c | 31.75 ± 0.25 a |
BV | 11.95 ± 0.85 a | 15.31 ± 0.61 a | 13.16 ± 0.62 ab | 13 ± 0 bc | 60 ± 0 abc | 29 ± 0 ab |
BM | 11.87 ± 1.26 a | 14.69 ± 0.69 a | 13.62 ± 0.73 a | 17 ± 1 a | 58 ± 1 bc | 31 ± 1 ab |
Grand Mean | 11.24 | 14.95 | 12.21 | 12.5 | 59.89 | 28.46 |
S.E.M. | 0.60 | 0.50 | 0.30 | 0.86 | 1.08 | 1.08 |
CV% | 6.53 | 4.10 | 3.01 | 8.42 | 2.22 | 4.66 |
p-value | 0.29 | 0.20 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0002 | 0.0000 |
f-value | 1.38 | 1.68 | 34.95 | 18.97 | 10.64 | 16.15 |
LSD | - | - | 1.03 | 2.93 | 3.7017 | 3.70 |
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Acharya, N.; Vista, S.P.; Shrestha, S.; Neupane, N.; Pandit, N.R. Potential of Biochar-Based Organic Fertilizers on Increasing Soil Fertility, Available Nutrients, and Okra Productivity in Slightly Acidic Sandy Loam Soil. Nitrogen 2023, 4, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen4010001
Acharya N, Vista SP, Shrestha S, Neupane N, Pandit NR. Potential of Biochar-Based Organic Fertilizers on Increasing Soil Fertility, Available Nutrients, and Okra Productivity in Slightly Acidic Sandy Loam Soil. Nitrogen. 2023; 4(1):1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen4010001
Chicago/Turabian StyleAcharya, Nischal, Shree Prasad Vista, Shova Shrestha, Nabina Neupane, and Naba Raj Pandit. 2023. "Potential of Biochar-Based Organic Fertilizers on Increasing Soil Fertility, Available Nutrients, and Okra Productivity in Slightly Acidic Sandy Loam Soil" Nitrogen 4, no. 1: 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen4010001