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Comparative effect of mesquite biochar, farmyard manure, and chemical fertilizers on soil fertility and growth of onion (Allium cepa L.)

  • S. I. BIOCHAR
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Abstract

Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora L.), a noxious weed, needs control and effective utilization for agronomical purposes. A field experiment was conducted to compare the effects of mesquite biochar (MB, 10 tons ha−1), farmyard manure (FYM, 10 tons ha−1), and NPK fertilizers (120:80:80 kg ha−1) on physicochemical attributes of soil and onion traits. Characterization analysis revealed that MB has greater pH (8.6) and EC (0.45 dS/m−1) than FYM (8.1 and 0.24 dS/m−1). Further, pyrolysis produced irregularly shaped mesquite biochar particles embedded with micropores of variant sizes. Soil analysis showed that MB had greater EC (1.47 dS/m−1) than FYM (1.42 dS/m−1) and NPK fertilizers (1.41 dS/m−1). Similarly, MB significantly improved water holding capacity of the soil and contributed more organic matter (0.58%) and NO3–N (2.02 mg kg−1) than other treatments. However, no significant effect of MB treatment was observed on soil Olsen-P. Further, maximum bulb weight (6.13 kg plot−1), leaf length (32.38 cm), total onion yield (268.55 kg ha−1), and total N and K contents in onion bulb were also observed in the plots treated with MB as compared with FYM and NPK fertilizers. In conclusion, MB is a suitable organic amendment to improve soil fertility and plant growth, and may be included in fertilization programs to improve crops yield.

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Funding

This study was funded by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, 29050, Pakistan

    Mumtaz Khan, Rehan Ahmad & Rafia Younas

  2. Department of Soil Science, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, 29050, Pakistan

    Kaneez Fatima

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University, Allama Iqbal Road, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Rizwan & Shafaqat Ali

  4. Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Azam

  5. Department of Horticulture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, 29050, Pakistan

    Zain ul Abadin

Authors
  1. Mumtaz Khan
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  2. Kaneez Fatima
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  3. Rehan Ahmad
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  4. Rafia Younas
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  5. Muhammad Rizwan
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  6. Muhammad Azam
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  7. Zain ul Abadin
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  8. Shafaqat Ali
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shafaqat Ali.

Additional information

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

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Khan, M., Fatima, K., Ahmad, R. et al. Comparative effect of mesquite biochar, farmyard manure, and chemical fertilizers on soil fertility and growth of onion (Allium cepa L.). Arab J Geosci 12, 563 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-019-4734-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-019-4734-0

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