FIELD EVALUATION OF SOIL AND WHEAT RESPONSES TO COMBINED APPLICATION OF HARDWOOD BIOCHAR AND INORGANIC FERTILIZERS IN ACIDIC SANDY LOAM SOIL

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
BANASHREE SARMA ◽  
NIRMALI GOGOI ◽  
MADHURI BHARALI ◽  
PRIYANKA MALI
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Sandy Loam Soil ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
N Recovery ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Inorganic Fertilizers ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
The Impact

SUMMARYBiochar application appears to be a promising method to improve soil physicochemical and biological properties by increasing soil carbon. Along with the influence of hardwood biochar on wheat growth, yield and soil quality for a period of two years, this study also evaluates the major soil parameters to be taken as minimum data set while assessing the impact of hardwood biochar in an acidic sandy loam soil. Five fertilizer treatments combining inorganic fertilizers and biochar were applied: unfertilized control (T1); 100% NPK (T2); 5 Mg ha−1 biochar (T3); 100% NPK + 5 Mg ha−1 biochar (T4); and 50% N + 100% PK + 5 Mg ha−1 biochar (T5). Biochar application (T3 vs. T1; T4 and T5 vs. T2) significantly increased leaf chlorophyll content, net photosynthesis rate, leaf N concentration and above and below-ground biomass, with improved wheat yield and grain quality (total grain protein and carbohydrate). Soil pH, water-holding capacity, available nutrients (N, P and K), organic carbon and its fractions also enhanced in biochar applied plots with reduced bulk density. Increased activities of soil enzymes urease, phosphatase, dehydrogenase, fluorescein di-acetate and arylsulphatase were recorded in biochar treatment along with significant increase in N recovery index (22%) and agronomic efficiency (40%). Multivariate analysis identified activity of phosphatase, pH and humic acid to fulvic acid ratio as the indicators to explain the total variance from biochar addition in acidic sandy loam soil under wheat cultivation. Soil quality index showed a significant improvement when biochar was added with reduced N doses (T5). This study confirms the efficacy of biochar as a soil conditioner when applied with reduced N fertilizer and would be a sustainable option to improve wheat production and soil quality in acidic sandy loam soils of northeast India.

scholarly journals Continuous Rice Cropping System with Integrated Use of Inorganic and Organic Sources of Nutrients for Soil Quality Improvement

2021 ◽  
pp. 109-123
Author(s):  
P. Majhi ◽  
F. H. Rahman ◽  
R. Bhattacharya
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Organic Manure ◽  
Sandy Loam Soil ◽  
Subtropical Climate ◽  
Inorganic Fertilizers ◽  
Physical Chemical ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
Inorganic And Organic

Maintenance of soil quality is considered to be the key to attain sustainability in agricultural production and thus to achieve food security. In this study we tried to answer a research question as to whether integrated application of inorganic and organic sources of nutrients can maintain productivity and soil quality in rice-rice cropping system. To address this, total 27 physical, chemical (including organic C and soil fertility parameters) and biological (including enzyme activities) properties of an acidic sandy loam soil, which were subjected to different nutrient management (NM) practices for nine years of rice-rice cropping under submergence in subtropical India were critically assessed. Seven NM practices comprised of organic [farmyard manure (FYM)], inorganic fertilizers (sources of N, P, K, S, Zn, and B) and some of their combinations were tested using randomized complete block design with four replications. Integrated use of inorganic fertilizers (NPK) and organic manure (FYM) sustained productivity of rice-rice cropping system and aggraded soil quality as compared to only inorganic fertilizers even with inclusion of S, Zn and B. The NPK+FYM was superior among the NM practices to improve physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Cation exchange capacity, non-exchangeable K and microbial biomass C were screened as the most sensitive attributes for assessing soil quality. Although the present study demonstrated the positive influence of integrated NM, application of even 80-17.5-50 kg N-P-K along with 5 Mg FYM ha-1 in each rice season failed to maintain total K content in soil. This suggested for readjustment of dose of inorganic fertilizers and organic manure and their application schedule for adequate replenishment of K in acidic sandy loam soil under rice-rice cropping in subtropical climate.

Soil water drying and recharge rates as affected by tillage under continuous barley and barley-canola cropping systems in northwestern Canada

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
R H Azooz ◽  
M A Arshad
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Time Domain Reflectometry ◽  
Sandy Loam Soil ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Silt Loam ◽  
Silt Loam Soil ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
The Impact

In areas of the northwestern Canadian Prairies, barley and canola are grown in a short growing season with high rainfall variability. Excessively dry soil in conventional tillage (CT) in dry periods and excessively wet soil in no-tillage (NT) in wet periods could cause a significant decrease in crop production by influencing the availability of soil water. The effects of CT, NT and NT with a 7.5-cm residue-free strip on the planting rows (NTR) on soil water drying (–dW/dt) and recharge (dW/dt) rates were studied in 1992 and 1993 during wet and dry periods to evaluate the impact of NTR, NT and CT systems on soil moisture condition. The soils, Donnelly silt loam and Donnelly sandy loam (both Gray Luvisol) were selected and soil water content by depth was measured by time domain reflectometry. Water retained at 6 matric potentials from –5 to –160 kPa were observed. In the field study, –dW/dt was significantly greater in CT than in NT in the silt loam for the 0- to 30-cm layer during the first 34 d after planting in 1992. The 0- to 30-cm soil layer in CT and NTR dried faster than in NT during a period immediately following heavy rainfall in the silt loam in 1993. The drying coefficient (–Kd ) was significantly greater in CT and NTR than in NT in the silt loam soil in 1993 and in the sandy loam soil in 1992 in the top 30-cm depth. The recharge coefficient (Kr) was significantly greater in NT and NTR than in CT for the silt loam soil. The NTR system increased the –dW/dt by 1.2 × 10-2 to 12.1 × 10-2 cm d-1 in 1992 and 1993 in the silt loam soil and by 10.2 × 10-2 cm d-1 in 1993 in the sandy loam soil as compared with NT. The dW/dt was 8.1 × 10-2 cm d-1 greater in NTR in 1992 and 1993 in the silt loam soil and was 1.9 × 10-2 greater in NTR in 1992 than in CT in the sandy loam soil. The laboratory study indicated that NT soils retained more water than the CT soils. The NTR practice maintained better soil moisture conditions for crop growth than CT in dry periods than NT in wet periods. Compared with NT, the NTR avoided prolonged near-saturated soil conditions with increased soil drying rate under extremely wet soil. Key words: Water drying, water recharge, water depletion, wet and drying periods, hydraulic properties, soil capacity to retain water

Effect of tillage and fertilization on inorganic and organic soil phosphorus

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. P. O'Halloran
Keyword(s):  
Surface Layer ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Sandy Loam Soil ◽  
Fertilizer Treatment ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
P Fractionation ◽  
Organic C ◽  
No Till ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
The Impact

This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of tillage and fertilization practices on soil organic carbon (organic-C) and the distribution of phosphorus between inorganic (Pi) and organic (Po) pools in a clay and sandy loam soil under a continuous corn (Zea mays L.) production system. Tillage treatments were established in the fall of 1981. The soils for this study were sampled (0- to 10-cm and 10- to 20-cm) in June 1988. Treatments consisted of three types of tillage: (i) conventional (CT): fall moldboard ploughing with two spring diskings; (ii) reduced (RT): with either fall chisel ploughing (1981–1986) or no fall tillage (1987) followed by one spring disking, and (iii) no-till (NT); and two types of fertilization (i) inorganic (I): 170 kg N ha−1. 80 kg P2O5, ha−1, 75 kg K2O ha−1, and (ii) organic fertilizer (O): dairy manure applied to give 170 kg N ha−1 plus 80 kg P2O5, ha−1 from inorganic P fertilizer. Even though a lime application was made in the fall of 1985, soil pH was significantly lower in the I fertilizer treatments. Reduction of tillage intensity resulted in a lower pH in the surface layer of the sandy loam soil. Tillage did not affect soil organic-C, or total soil Po (soil-Po) in either soil. Compared with the I fertilizer treatment, the O fertilizer treatment resulted in increased levels of soil organic-C and soil-Po only in the sandy loam soil. Labile levels of Po in the soil were not affected by treatments. Increased soil-Po levels possibly resulted from an increase in stable Po complexes. Moderately labile Po levels were not affected by treatments in the clay soil. In the sandy loam soil, O fertilization decreased moderately labile Po levels in the surface layer of the NT treatment, and increased this P fraction in the 10- to 20-cm soil layer of the RT and CT treatments. In the surface layer of both soils, labile levels of Pi were greater for the O fertilization treatment (approximately 40 and 47% higher for the clay and sandy loam, respectively), and were lower under CT. Increased labile Pi levels were associated with the O fertilizer treatment in the 10- to 20-cm depth increment in the sandy loam soil only, suggesting a greater downward movement of P with manure applications. Key words: Conventional tillage, zero-tilled, no-till, reduced tillage, manure, P fractionation

Aging Effects of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Phosphorus Fractionation in a Calcareous Sandy Loam Soil

Pedosphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 873-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Munir AHMAD ◽  
Mahtab AHMAD ◽  
Ahmed H. EL-NAGGAR ◽  
Adel R.A. USMAN ◽  
Adel ABDULJABBAR ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Phosphorus Fractionation ◽  
Sandy Loam Soil ◽  
Aging Effects ◽  
Inorganic Fertilizers ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
Organic And Inorganic Fertilizers

scholarly journals Biochar increases plant-available water in a sandy loam soil under an aerobic rice crop system

Solid Earth ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 939-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. de Melo Carvalho ◽  
A. de Holanda Nunes Maia ◽  
B. E. Madari ◽  
L. Bastiaans ◽  
P. A. J. van Oort ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Retention ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Sandy Loam Soil ◽  
Aerobic Rice ◽  
Undisturbed Soil ◽  
Available Water ◽  
Eucalyptus Wood ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
Plant Available Water ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of biochar rate (0, 8, 16 and 32 Mg ha−1) on the water retention capacity (WRC) of a sandy loam Dystric Plinthosol. The applied biochar was a by-product of slow pyrolysis (∼450 °C) of eucalyptus wood, milled to pass through a 2000 μm sieve that resulted in a material with an intrinsic porosity ≤10 μm and a specific surface area of ∼3.2 m2 g−1. The biochar was incorporated into the top 15 cm of the soil under an aerobic rice system. Our study focused on both the effects on WRC and rice yields 2 and 3 years after its application. Undisturbed soil samples were collected from 16 plots in two soil layers (5–10 and 15–20 cm). Soil water retention curves were modelled using a nonlinear mixed model which appropriately accounts for uncertainties inherent of spatial variability and repeated measurements taken within a specific soil sample. We found an increase in plant-available water in the upper soil layer proportional to the rate of biochar, with about 0.8% for each Mg ha−1 biochar amendment 2 and 3 years after its application. The impact of biochar on soil WRC was most likely related to an effect in overall porosity of the sandy loam soil, which was evident from an increase in saturated soil moisture and macro porosity with 0.5 and 1.6% for each Mg ha−1 of biochar applied, respectively. The increment in soil WRC did not translate into an increase in rice yield, essentially because in both seasons the amount of rainfall during the critical period for rice production exceeded 650 mm. The use of biochar as a soil amendment can be a worthy strategy to guarantee yield stability under short-term water-limited conditions. Our findings raise the importance of assessing the feasibility of very high application rates of biochar and the inclusion of a detailed analysis of its physical and chemical properties as part of future investigations.

scholarly journals A framework for refining soil microbial indices as bioindicators during decomposition of various organic residues in a sandy loam soil

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 700-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Sharma ◽  
Jatinder Kaur ◽  
H. S. Thind ◽  
Yadvinder Singh ◽  
Neha Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Biochemical Composition ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Sandy Loam Soil ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
Microbial Indices ◽  
Amended Soil

Assessment of soil quality is an invaluable tool in determining the sustainability and environmental impact of agricultural ecosystems. Soil microbial indices like microbial biomass and microbial activity are important criteria for the determination of soil quality. Laboratory incubation study was undertaken to examine the influence of eight crop residues widely varying in biochemical composition on the periodic changes in important soil microbial indices {(microbial (Cmic: Corg), metabolic (qCO2), carbon mineralization (qC) and microbial biomass change rate (qM) quotients)} at 28 days and 63 days after incubation (DAI) in a sandy loam soil. A. sativa amended soil showed maximum soil respiration rate (14.23 mg CO2-C g-1 soil day-1) whereas T. aestivum amended soil showed maximum microbial biomass C (790 µg/g). The metabolic quotient among different crop residues ranged from 11.1 to 19.8 μg CO2-C μg-biomass-C-1 h-1 at 63 DAI. The results indicate that incorporation of different crop residues has positive effect on microbial flora and their activity. Microbial quotient (Cmic:Corg) was significantly positively correlated with microbial biomass carbon (MBC), qC and qM. The study suggests that the biochemical composition of different crop residues seems to be of better option for long term sustainable crop production with maintenance of soil quality in a sandy loam soil.

scholarly journals Soil Quality Factors Affecting Garlic Production

HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 445D-445
Author(s):  
Carl J. Rosen ◽  
David E. Birong
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Sandy Loam Soil ◽  
Loamy Sand ◽  
Sand Soil ◽  
Loamy Sand Soil ◽  
Biomass N ◽  
Loam Soil

Recent demand for high-quality garlic (Allium sativum L.) has prompted an interest in growing garlic as an alternative crop in the Upper Midwest. The overall objective of this study was to determine the effects of various amendments on garlic growth and selected soil quality indices in two contrasting soils. Garlic (Rocambole type) was planted in the fall of 1995 on a Kandota sandy loam (5% organic matter) and a Spartan loamy sand (1.5% organic matter). Three treatments replicated three times were tested: 1) a nonamended control, 2) manure compost, and 3) fertilizer application based on a soil test. Scapes were removed on half the plants in each plot and allowed to grow until harvest on the other half. Soil microbial biomass nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) were determined before planting and about 4 weeks after emergence. Within each site, the effect of soil amendments on garlic yield depended on scape removal. Garlic yield in nonamended soil was lowest when scapes were not removed. The effect of scape removal tended to diminish when compost or fertilizer was applied. Overall yields were 35% higher in the sandy loam soil compared to the loamy sand soil. Drought stress occurred during bulbing at both locations. Higher yields in the sandy loam soil were likely due to its higher water-holding capacity. Soil amendments did not consistently affect microbial biomass N and C; however, the sandy loam soil had 2 to 6 times higher biomass N and 3 to 4 times higher biomass C than the loamy sand soil and reflected the higher organic matter content of the sandy loam.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document