Department of Agronomy, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan.
Department of Soil Science, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water, and Marine Sciences, Uthal, Balochistan, Pakistan.
Sci Rep. 2023 Nov 27;13(1):20800. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-48163-9.
In alkaline soil conditions, the availability of essential nutrients for plant growth becomes limited, posing a significant challenge for achieving optimal maize growth and yield. Exploring the impact of biochar and waste irrigation on soil alkalinity and maize production in arid regions has received limited attention. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of three levels of acidified biochar (0, 5, and 10 Mg ha) in two growing seasons of maize-spring and autumn. The treatments were applied following a randomized complete block design with three replications. Biochar was applied only in the autumn season, and its residual effects were evaluated in the spring season. The study found that using acidifying biochar at a rate of 10 Mg ha significantly increased maize yield by 35.8% compared to no application and by 16.4% compared to a rate of 5 Mg ha. In the autumn, applying acidified biochar at 10 Mg ha reduced soil pH by 3.65% and 6.41% compared to 0 and 5 Mg ha. In the spring, the same application led to a decrease in soil pH by 5.84% and 7.37% compared to the lower rates. Additionally, using 10 Mg ha of acidifying biochar increased soil phosphorus concentration by 87.6% and soil potassium concentration by 38.0% compared to not using biochar, and by 46.2% and 35.0% compared to the 5 Mg ha application. These findings suggest that the reduction of soil pH by applying biochar at a rate of 10 Mg ha facilitated an increase in nutrient availability in the soil, consequently leading to higher maize yield. Notably, no significant differences were observed in maize productivity and soil properties between the spring and autumn seasons. Therefore, this study paves the way for further exploration into the long-term effects of acidifying biochar on maize productivity and soil properties in similar agroecological contexts.
在碱性土壤条件下，植物生长所需的基本养分变得有限，这对实现玉米最佳生长和产量构成了重大挑战。在干旱地区，生物炭和废水灌溉对土壤碱性和玉米生产的影响研究还很有限。本研究旨在评估三个酸化生物炭水平（0、5 和 10 Mg/ha）在两个玉米生长季节（春季和秋季）的影响。采用随机完全区组设计，设三个重复。生物炭仅在秋季施用，春季评估其残留效果。研究发现，与不施生物炭相比，施用量为 10 Mg/ha 的酸化生物炭可使玉米产量增加 35.8%，与 5 Mg/ha 相比增加 16.4%。在秋季，与 0 和 5 Mg/ha 相比，施用量为 10 Mg/ha 的酸化生物炭可使土壤 pH 值分别降低 3.65%和 6.41%。在春季，相同的施用量使土壤 pH 值分别降低 5.84%和 7.37%，与较低的施用量相比。此外，与不施生物炭相比，施用量为 10 Mg/ha 的酸化生物炭可使土壤磷浓度增加 87.6%，土壤钾浓度增加 38.0%，与 5 Mg/ha 相比，分别增加 46.2%和 35.0%。这些结果表明，施用量为 10 Mg/ha 的生物炭降低土壤 pH 值，有利于增加土壤养分的有效性，从而提高玉米产量。值得注意的是，春季和秋季玉米生产力和土壤特性没有显著差异。因此，本研究为进一步探索类似农业生态环境中酸化生物炭对玉米生产力和土壤特性的长期影响铺平了道路。
