Abstract
Gravel, V., Dorais, M. and Ménard, C. 2013. Organic potted plants amended with biochar: its effect on growth and Pythium colonization. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 1217–1227. Even though the benefits from the use of charcoal in agriculture have been known for a long time, little biochar is utilized in agriculture. Therefore, we hypothesized that biochar amendment to an organic potting soil improves plant growth without promoting plant root pathogens such as Pythium ultimum. Growth of sweet pepper, lettuce, basil, geranium and coriander grown in an organic potting soil containing a commercially available biochar (1:1 vol:vol) was compared with an unamended potting soil. Macronutrients (NPK) were supplied through application of an organic liquid fertilizer three times a week via injection irrigation. The effect of biochar amendment on P. ultimum colonization and infection was also evaluated in a sub-sample. No effect of the biochar amendment on growth was observed for sweet pepper and geranium. On a dry weight basis, coriander shoot growth was 45% greater in the biochar-amended potting soil, while a decrease of 44% in shoot biomass was observed for lettuce. The negative growth impact of biochar was not related to a phytotoxicity effect as water extract from biochar did not affect seed germination. For Pythium-inoculated plants, root colonization by the pathogen was higher for all crops in potting soil amended with biochar, except for coriander. However, despite the fact that biochar offered a good environment for P. ultimum development as shown by a higher root colonization rate, no visible signs of damage to the root system or to plant development were observed. Soil respiration was lower when biochar was present in the growing medium, which could be related to a lower root biomass and the biochar-specific properties on greenhouse gases rather than to a reduction in the potting media biological activity. In conclusion, replacement of an important proportion of organic growing media with biochar may be beneficial in terms of plant growth and CO 2 emission, but may also offer a good environment for Pythium ultimum development.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar had no observed growth effect on sweet pepper.
- Taxon
- sweet pepper
Capsicum annuume0 - Treatment
- biochar amendmente0
- Outcome
- growthe0
- Direction
- No effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“No effect of the biochar amendment on growth was observed for sweet pepper and geranium.”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar had no observed growth effect on geranium.
GeraniumNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“No effect of the biochar amendment on growth was observed for sweet pepper and geranium.”
Claim · model-written summary
Coriander shoot growth was 45% greater with biochar.
- Taxon
- coriander
Coriandrum sativume0 - Treatment
- biochar-amended potting soile0
- Outcome
- shoot growthe0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 45%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“coriander shoot growth was 45% greater in the biochar-amended potting soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Lettuce shoot biomass decreased 44% with biochar.
- Taxon
- lettuce
Lactuca sativae0 - Outcome
- shoot biomasse0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Value
- 44%e0
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a decrease of 44% in shoot biomass was observed for lettuce”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar water extract did not affect seed germination.
- Taxon
- potted plantst0
- Treatment
- water extract from biochare0
- Outcome
- seed germinatione0
- Direction
- did not affecte0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“water extract from biochar did not affect seed germination”
t0“Organic potted plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Pythium root colonization was higher with biochar for crops other than coriander.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee1
- Treatment
- potting soil amended with biochare0
- Outcome
- root colonization by the pathogene0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- except for coriandere0
.jpg?width=60){kind=small}
PythiumNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“root colonization by the pathogen was higher for all crops in potting soil amended with biochar, except for coriander”
e1“Pythium-inoculated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Despite greater pathogen colonization, no visible root or plant development damage was observed.
- Interactor
- P. ultimumGlobisporangium ultimume1pathogen
- Outcome
- no visible signs of damage to the root system or to plant developmente0
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“no visible signs of damage to the root system or to plant development were observed”
e1“P. ultimum development”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil respiration was lower with biochar.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Soil respiration was lower when biochar was present in the growing medium”
t0“Organic potted plants”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded biochar replacement may benefit growth and CO 2 emission but favor Pythium development.
- Taxon
- potted plantst0
- Interactor
- Pythium ultimumGlobisporangium ultimume0pathogen
- Outcome
- replacement of an important proportion of organic growing media with biochare0
Verbatim
e0“replacement of an important proportion of organic growing media with biochar may be beneficial in terms of plant growth and CO 2 emission, but may also offer a good environment for Pythium ultimum development”
t0“Organic potted plants”
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