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How can potatoes be smartly cultivated with biochar as a soil nutrient amendment technique in Atlantic Canada?

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Abstract

The question if biochar is a suitable soil nutrient amendment for potato cultivation in the Atlantic Canada is yet to be answered. The objective of this study was to answer this question. Three replicates of twelve lysimeters, each 8000 cm2, were packed with an Atlantic Canada representative soil to cultivate potatoes with four treatments of soil amendments (T1 = control [no added nutrients], T2 = B [biochar], T3 = F [synthetic fertilizer @ recommended NPK], and T4 = B + F [biochar + recommended NPK]) under a completely randomized block design with factorial arrangements. Chemical analyses of soils were conducted for physical, hydrological, and chemical (including concentration of macro- and micro-nutrients) prior to and after the completion experiments to evaluate soil fertility and its resulting effects on crop yield. The biochar amendment improved soil micro- and macro-nutrients. Soil organic matter, pH, and cation exchange capacity (ECE) significantly increased by application of biochar. The maximum potato yield of 30,467.4 kg h−1 was achieved by the combined application of biochar and synthetic fertilizer as this combination resulted in the maximum net benefit ($4433.98 ha−1) in comparison with control treatment that had net loss of $– 2621.49 ha−1. It is therefore concluded that biochar amendment of soils resembling to that of the Atlantic Canada representative soil used in this study, with a mix of recommended NPK for, can formulate a smart precision farming nutrient management technique for this region subject to the field trials and replicate experimental treatments for more than three times.

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Change history

  • 12 September 2020

    The original version of this paper was published with error. Corresponding author requested to make a necessary correction in the spelling for the last author. The correct name is ���Travis Esau��� instead of ���Travis Easu���.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Precision Agriculture Team at the University of Prince Edward Island for their assistance during the experiment.

Funding

This research was supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Horticultural Council, and the New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries (CAP program).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI, C1A 4P3, Canada

    Aitazaz A. Farooque, Farhat Abbas & Bishnu Acharya

  2. Department of Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, B2N 5E3, Truro, NS, Canada

    Qamar Zaman & Travis Easu

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Vehari, 61100, Pakistan

    Hafiz Mohkum Hammad

Authors
  1. Aitazaz A. Farooque
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  2. Qamar Zaman
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Correspondence to Aitazaz A. Farooque or Farhat Abbas.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Implications of Biochar Application to Soil Environment under Arid Conditions

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Farooque, A.A., Zaman, Q., Abbas, F. et al. How can potatoes be smartly cultivated with biochar as a soil nutrient amendment technique in Atlantic Canada?. Arab J Geosci 13, 336 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05337-3

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