Biochar Improves Soil Properties and Wheat Growth Under Saline Conditions: A Growth Chamber Study

Abstract

Application of biochar to agricultural soils is one of the recently proposed technologies of sustainable agricultural management. To this extent a pot experiment was conducted in completely randomized design (CRD) to evaluate the effect of biochar particle sizes (B1= 0.002, B2= 0.05, B3= 2 mm) applied at the rate of 40 tons per ha-1 on soil properties and wheat growth under saline (S1= 0.1%, S2= 0.2%, S3= 0.3%) and non-saline (control= S0) conditions. Biochar particle size significantly affected soil electrical conductivity, pH, water holding capacity, days to emergence, percent germination, shoot biomass, root biomass and chlorophyll content. Similarly, greater days to emergence (7.75) shoot biomass (2.74 g), root biomass (0.84 g) and chlorophyll content (55.67 CCI) was obtained for biochar with particle size of 0.002 mm. Biochar with particle size 2 mm significantly increase root:shoot ratio (0.33 %). Biochar with (2 mm) had reduced pH 7.12 and EC (0.59 dSm-1) while enhanced germination (80 %). In case of salinity greater soil pH (7.49), days to emergence (8.22 days) and EC (0.71 dSm-1) was observed for those pots treated with 0.3% NaCl while maximum germination (92 %), shoot biomass (3.05 g), root biomass (1.03 g), root to shoot ratio (1.03 %) and chlorophyll content (59.44 CCI) was calculated for those pots which received no salt content followed by pots where salt of 0.1% NaCl was applied. Therefore, biochar may be used at the rate of 40 t ha-1 with particle size of (0.002-0.05 mm) under no saline or limited saline conditions (0.1% NaCl content) for improving soil health and crop productivity. KEYWORDS Biochar, wheat, salt concentration, soil properties