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The impact of water hyacinth biochar on maize growth and soil properties: The influence of pyrolysis temperature

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/12826/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/sae2.12117
https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.12117
 
Title The impact of water hyacinth biochar on maize growth and soil properties: The influence of pyrolysis temperature
 
Creator Gezahegn, A
Selassie, Y G
Agegnehu, G
Addisu, S
Mihretie, F A
Kohira, Y
Lewoyehu, M
Sato, S
 
Subject Weed Science
Maize
 
Description Introduction: Options for managing water hyacinths (WHs) include converting the biomass into biochar for soil amendment. However, less has been known about the impact of WH‐based biochar developed in varying pyrolysis temperatures on plant growth and soil qualities.
Materials and Methods: A pot experiment was undertaken in a factorial combination of WH biochars (WHBs) developed at three temperatures (350°C, 550°C and 750°C) and two application rates (5 and 20 t ha−1), plus a control without biochar. Maize was grown as a test crop for 2 months under natural conditions.
Results: Our study showed that applying WHB developed between 350°C and 750°C at 20 t ha−1 increased maize shoot and root dry biomass by 47.7% to 17.6% and 78.4% to 54.1%, respectively. Nevertheless, raising the biochar pyrolysis temperature decreased maize growth, whereas increasing the application rate displayed a positive effect. The application of WHB generated at 350°C and 550°C at 20 t ha−1 resulted in significant improvements in soil total nitrogen (17.9% to 25%), cation exchange capacity (27.3% to 20.2%), and ammonium‐nitrogen (60.7% to 59.6%), respectively, over the control. Additionally, applying WHB produced from 350°C to 750°C at 20 t ha−1 enhanced soil carbon by 38.5%–56.3%, compared to the control. Conversely, applying biochar
produced at 750°C resulted in higher soil pH (6.3 ± 0.103), electrical conductivity (0.23 ± 0.01 dSm−1) and available phosphorus (21.8 ± 2.53 mg kg−1).
Conclusion: WHBs developed at temperatures of 350°C and 550°C with an application rate of 20 t ha−1 were found to be optimal for growing maize and improving soil characteristics. Our study concludes that pyrolysis temperature significantly governs the effectiveness of biochar produced from a specific biomass source.
 
Publisher Wiley
 
Date 2024-07-31
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights cc_attribution
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/12826/1/Journal%20of%20Sustainable%20Agriculture%20and%20Environment_3_3_1-15_2024.pdf
Gezahegn, A and Selassie, Y G and Agegnehu, G and Addisu, S and Mihretie, F A and Kohira, Y and Lewoyehu, M and Sato, S (2024) The impact of water hyacinth biochar on maize growth and soil properties: The influence of pyrolysis temperature. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, 3 (3). pp. 1-15. ISSN 2767-035X