Abstract
Impacts of biochar application in combination with organic fertilizer, such as compost, are not fully understood. In this study, we tested the effects of biochar amendment, compost addition, and their combination on lettuce plants grown in a soil poor in nutrients; soil microbiological, chemical, and physical characteristics were analyzed, together with plant growth and physiology. An initial screening was also done to evaluate the effect of biochar and compost toxicity, using cress plants and earthworms. Results showed that compost amendment had clear and positive effects on plant growth and yield and on soil chemical characteristics. However, we demonstrated that also the biochar alone stimulated lettuce leaves number and total biomass, improving soil total nitrogen and phosphorus contents, as well as total carbon, and enhancing related microbial communities. Nevertheless, combining biochar and compost, no positive synergic and summative effects were observed. Our results thus demonstrate that in a soil poor in nutrients the biochar alone could be effectively used to enhance soil fertility and plant growth and biomass yield. However, we can speculate that the combination of compost and biochar may enhance and sustain soil biophysical and chemical characteristics and improve crop productivity over time.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Compost improved plant growth and yield.
- Taxon
- Lettuce
Lactuca sativat0 - Treatment
- compost amendmente0
- Outcome
- plant growth and yielde0
- Direction
- positive effectse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“compost amendment had clear and positive effects on plant growth and yield”
t0“Lettuce (Lactuca sativaL.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost improved soil chemical characteristics.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- compost amendmente0
- Outcome
- soil chemical characteristicse0
- Direction
- positive effectse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“compost amendment had clear and positive effects on plant growth and yield and on soil chemical characteristics.”
t0“Lettuce (Lactuca sativaL.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar alone stimulated lettuce leaf number and total biomass.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativae0
- Treatment
- biochar alonee0
- Outcome
- lettuce leaves number and total biomasse0
- Direction
- stimulatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“biochar alone stimulated lettuce leaves number and total biomass”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar improved soil total nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon contents.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- biochar alonee0
- Outcome
- soil total nitrogen and phosphorus contents, as well as total carbone0
- Direction
- improvinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“biochar alone stimulated lettuce leaves number and total biomass, improving soil total nitrogen and phosphorus contents, as well as total carbon”
t0“Lettuce (Lactuca sativaL.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar enhanced related microbial communities.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- biochart0
- Outcome
- related microbial communitiese0
- Direction
- enhancinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“enhancing related microbial communities”
t0“Biochar and Its Combination with Compost on Lettuce (Lactuca sativaL.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Combining biochar with compost produced no positive synergistic or additive effect.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- combining biochar and composte0
- Outcome
- synergic and summative effectse0
- Direction
- no positivee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“combining biochar and compost, no positive synergic and summative effects were observed”
t0“Lettuce (Lactuca sativaL.)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend biochar alone to enhance soil fertility and lettuce growth and biomass yield in nutrient-poor soil.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- biochar alonee0
- Outcome
- enhance soil fertility and plant growth and biomass yielde0
- Qualifier
- in a soil poor in nutrientse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in a soil poor in nutrients the biochar alone could be effectively used to enhance soil fertility and plant growth and biomass yield.”
t0“Lettuce (Lactuca sativaL.)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors speculate that compost plus biochar could sustain soil properties and crop productivity over time.
- Taxon
- LettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- combination of compost and biochare0
- Outcome
- enhance and sustain soil biophysical and chemical characteristics and improve crop productivity over timee0
- Qualifier
- maye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the combination of compost and biochar may enhance and sustain soil biophysical and chemical characteristics and improve crop productivity over time.”
t0“Lettuce (Lactuca sativaL.)”
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