Soil Properties of a Calcareous Soil and Cationic Nutrient Uptake by Zea Mays L. as Influenced by Sheep Manure and Rice Husk Biochars

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Darab, Shiraz University

2 Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Darab, Shiraz University, Darab, Iran

3 Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Darab, Shiraz University, Darab, Iran

Abstract

The balanced absorption of cations in calcareous soils is influenced by the high concentrations of calcium and sodium, while the addition of amendments like biochars can further modify the cation absorption dynamics. This study evaluated the impact of adding biochars derived from sheep manure and rice husks (produced at 300°C and 500°C) to calcareous soil on various soil properties (pH, EC, CEC, and soluble and exchangeable K, Ca, and Na), as well as on corn growth and the uptake of these cations. Results indicated that sheep manure biochar exhibited higher pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and concentrations of potassium, calcium, and sodium compared to rice husk biochar, with these properties intensifying as production temperature increased. The application of sheep manure biochar raised soil EC by 0.4 dS m⁻¹ and increased soluble cation concentrations. Conversely, rice husk biochar selectively enhanced the soluble potassium concentration by 0.7 mmol L⁻¹. Both types of biochar reduced the calcium-to-potassium ratio (from 4.44 to 0.97–1.64) and increased exchangeable potassium and sodium levels (by 5– 10 mmol kg⁻¹ and 0.5–1.5 mmol kg⁻¹, respectively). Corn yield improved significantly, ranging from 16% to 160%, with biochar application. Although sheep manure biochar enhanced cation content in corn shoots compared to rice husk biochar, it decreased the calcium-to-potassium, potassium-to-sodium, and calcium-to-sodium ratios in plant tissues. Overall, rice husk biochars proved more effective than sheep manure biochars due to their lower salinity, higher potassium content, reduced sodium levels, and the promotion of a more balanced cation absorption by plant roots.

Keywords

Main Subjects

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

 

Background and purpose:

The balanced absorption of cationic nutrient in calcareous soils can be affected by the high concentration of calcium and sodium, and the addition of compounds such as biochar, which has a variety of soluble cation contents, can make the absorption of cations more complicated.  

Materials and Methods:

In the current research, the effect of adding two percent (w/w) of biochars prepared from sheep manure and rice husk at two temperatures of 300 and 500°C to a calcareous soil with loamy sand texture on its pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, concentrations of calcium, potassium and sodium in soil solution and the exchangeable forms, the ratio of these cations in soil solution as well as the dry matter yield and absorption of calcium, potassium and sodium by Zea mays L. and comparison of these cations ration in plant shoot were investigated in a greenhouse experiment.

Findings:

The results indicated that sheep manure biochar had higher values of pH, electrical conductivity, potassium, calcium and sodium than rice husk biochar and these characteristics increased with the increase of production temperature from 300 to 500°C. The application of sheep manure biochar increased the electrical conductivity and the concentration of soluble calcium, potassium and sodium, while rice husk biochar increased the concentration of soluble potassium and did not affect the concentration of soluble calcium and sodium. With the application of all biochars, the ratio of calcium to potassium decreased, but this was more with the application of sheep manure biochar. The ratio of potassium to sodium also increased with the use of all biochars, and the effect of rice husk biochar was greater. The amount of exchangeable potassium and sodium also increased with the use of biochars, while the amount of exchangeable calcium decreased only with the use of sheep manure biochar produced at 500°C. The dry matter yield of corn increased from 16 to 160% with the use of different biochars, with the use of sheep manure and rice husk biochars produced at 300°C, respectively. The use of sheep manure biochar increased the amount of calcium, potassium and sodium in corn compared to rice husk biochar, but decreased the ratio of calcium to potassium, potassium to sodium and calcium to sodium. A significant relationship between corn yield and the ratio of calcium to potassium in corn was obtained.

Conclusion:

In general, it can be concluded that rice husk biochars have been more effective than sheep manure biochars in improving corn growth in the studied soil and this can be a result of less salinity, more potassium and less sodium addition into the soil and more balanced absorption of cations by the roots.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri; methodology, Hamid Reza Boostani; software, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri; validation, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri, Hamid Reza Boostani and Ehsan Bijanzadeh; formal analysis, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri; investigation, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri, Hamid Reza Boostani and Ehsan Bijanzadeh; resources, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri; data curation, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri, Hamid Reza Boostani and Ehsan Bijanzadeh; writing—original draft preparation, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri; writing—review and editing, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri, Hamid Reza Boostani and Ehsan Bijanzadeh; visualization, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri; supervision, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri, Hamid Reza Boostani and Ehsan Bijanzadeh ; project administration, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri; funding acquisition, Mahdi Najafi-Ghiri. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.”

Data Availability Statement

Data is available on request from the authors.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Shiraz University.

Ethical considerations

The authors avoided data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and misconduct.

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 55, Issue 11
January 2025
Pages 2209-2223

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