Karim Md Rezaul, Biswas Sonchita, Halim Md Abdul, Ahmed Romel
Institute of Forestry and Conservation, John H Daniels Faculty of Architecture Landscape and Design, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
PLoS One. 2025 Mar 18;20(3):e0320005. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0320005. eCollection 2025.
Biochar (BC) application to low-fertility soils enhances crop yield, soil quality, and sustainable agricultural production. Although many studies have explored the effects of biochar on tropical crops, research specific to Bangladesh is limited. Given the agrarian system in Bangladesh, dense population, and vulnerability to climate change, adopting sustainable agricultural practices is essential. This study evaluates the impact of different biochar dosages on the germination and early growth of five major crops Oryza sativa (rice), Triticum aestivum (wheat), Capsicum annuum (chili), Solanum melongena (eggplant), and Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) using Acacia auriculiformis wood-waste biochar. The research was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a nursery setting. Biochar treatments of 10 t/ha and 15 t/ha were applied, with assessments made of germination (%), germination rate (after 7 days), shoot height (cm), root height (cm), leaf number, and root-shoot dry weight ratio. The results indicated a significant (p < 0.001) increase in germination (%) with higher biochar application rates. The linear mixed-effects model showed a significant effect of biochar treatment on germination (%) (F = 57.33, p < 0.001) and a significant interaction with crop type (F = 15.84, p < 0.001). In C. annuum, the 15 t/ha treatment resulted in a 96% increase in germination compared to the control (43.3 ± 1.08% vs 85.1 ± 2.15%). Similarly, in O. sativa, germination was significantly higher with the 10 t/ha (84.5 ± 1.52%) and 15 t/ha (91.8 ± 1.49%) treatments compared to control (59.3 ± 2.38%). Biochar significantly (p < 0.05) influenced early germination rates (after 7 days) and early growth parameters (e.g., shoot length, leaf count, root-shoot ratio), with the 15 t/ha treatment showing substantial improvements for C. annuum and O. sativa, while no significant effects were observed for S. lycopersicum. These findings underscore the potential of A. auriculiformis in enhancing germination and early growth of economically important crops, highlighting its role in promoting sustainable agriculture in Bangladesh.
将生物炭（BC）施用于低肥力土壤可提高作物产量、土壤质量和可持续农业生产。尽管许多研究探讨了生物炭对热带作物的影响，但针对孟加拉国的具体研究有限。鉴于孟加拉国的农业系统、密集的人口以及对气候变化的脆弱性，采用可持续农业做法至关重要。本研究使用大叶相思木废料生物炭评估了不同生物炭施用量对五种主要作物——水稻（Oryza sativa）、小麦（Triticum aestivum）、辣椒（Capsicum annuum）、茄子（Solanum melongena）和番茄（Solanum lycopersicum）发芽和早期生长的影响。该研究在苗圃环境中采用随机完全区组设计（RCBD）进行。施用了10吨/公顷和15吨/公顷的生物炭处理，并对发芽率（%）、发芽速率（7天后）、苗高（厘米）、根高（厘米）、叶片数量和根冠干重比进行了评估。结果表明，随着生物炭施用量的增加，发芽率（%）显著（p < 0.001）提高。线性混合效应模型表明，生物炭处理对发芽率（%）有显著影响（F = 57.33，p < 0.001），且与作物类型有显著交互作用（F = 15.84，p < 0.001）。在辣椒中，15吨/公顷处理的发芽率相比对照提高了96%（43.3 ± 1.08%对85.1 ± 2.15%）。同样，在水稻中，10吨/公顷（84.5 ± 1.52%）和15吨/公顷（91.8 ± 1.49%）处理的发芽率显著高于对照（59.3 ± 2.38%）。生物炭对早期发芽速率（7天后）和早期生长参数（如苗长、叶片数、根冠比）有显著（p < 0.05）影响，15吨/公顷处理对辣椒和水稻有显著改善，而对番茄未观察到显著影响。这些发现强调了大叶相思在提高经济重要作物发芽和早期生长方面的潜力，突出了其在促进孟加拉国可持续农业中的作用。
