Abstract
Biochar is predicted to improve soil properties and facilitate plant growth, yet few studies verify such an effect on seed germination and seedling growth in karst calcareous soils. We evaluated the effect of rice husk and woodchip biochar at varying application rates (1%, 2% and 5% by weight) on seed germination and seedling growth of Robinia pseudoacacia L. in calcareous soils by a 240-day glasshouse pot experiment. The germination rate of Robinia pseudoacacia L. seeds in biochar-treated soils reached a peak on day 3, 2 days faster than the control. The shoot and root biomass of seedlings were significantly increased by adding 1% and 2% biochar. With increasing levels of biochar, the root to shoot ratio decreased sharply, which was related to the increased soil capillary water and nutrient supply (i.e., P and K). We found soil capillary water-holding capacity was significantly correlated with seed germination rate and shoot dry weight. The shoot dry weight was also significantly correlated with soil available-P. The studies indicated the addition of 1–2% biochar had a significantly positive impact on seed germination, shoot and root growth of Robinia pseudoacacia L. in karst calcareous soils during 240 days of biochar-soil incubation.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar advanced peak germination by two days compared with control.
- Taxon
- Robinia pseudoacacia L.
Robinia pseudoacaciae0 - Organ / stage
- seedse0
- Treatment
- biochar-treated soilse0
- Outcome
- germination ratee0
- Direction
- fastere0
- Value
- 2 dayse0
- Qualifier
- day 3e0
- Comparator
- the controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The germination rate of Robinia pseudoacacia L. seeds in biochar-treated soils reached a peak on day 3, 2 days faster than the control”
Claim · model-written summary
Adding 1% and 2% biochar significantly increased seedling shoot and root biomass.
- Taxon
- Robinia pseudoacacia L.Robinia pseudoacaciat0
- Organ / stage
- seedlingse0
- Treatment
- adding 1% and 2% biochare0
- Outcome
- shoot and root biomasse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The shoot and root biomass of seedlings were significantly increased by adding 1% and 2% biochar”
t0“Robinia pseudoacacia L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher biochar levels sharply decreased the root to shoot ratio.
- Taxon
- Robinia pseudoacacia L.Robinia pseudoacaciat0
- Treatment
- increasing levels of biochare0
- Outcome
- root to shoot ratioe0
- Direction
- decreased sharplye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“With increasing levels of biochar, the root to shoot ratio decreased sharply”
t0“Robinia pseudoacacia L.”
Claim · model-written summary
The root to shoot ratio decrease was related to higher soil capillary water and nutrient supply.
- Taxon
- Robinia pseudoacacia L.Robinia pseudoacaciat0
- Compound
- P and Ke0
- Outcome
- root to shoot ratioe0
- Direction
- decreased sharplye0
- Qualifier
- increased soil capillary water and nutrient supplye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the root to shoot ratio decreased sharply, which was related to the increased soil capillary water and nutrient supply (i.e., P and K)”
t0“Robinia pseudoacacia L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil capillary water holding capacity correlated significantly with seed germination rate.
- Taxon
- Robinia pseudoacacia L.Robinia pseudoacaciat0
- Outcome
- seed germination ratee0
- Qualifier
- soil capillary water-holding capacitye0
- Setting
- soil capillary water-holding capacitye0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil capillary water-holding capacity was significantly correlated with seed germination rate and shoot dry weight”
t0“Robinia pseudoacacia L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil capillary water holding capacity correlated significantly with shoot dry weight.
- Taxon
- Robinia pseudoacacia L.Robinia pseudoacaciat0
- Outcome
- shoot dry weighte0
- Setting
- soil capillary water-holding capacitye0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil capillary water-holding capacity was significantly correlated with seed germination rate and shoot dry weight”
t0“Robinia pseudoacacia L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil available P correlated significantly with shoot dry weight.
- Taxon
- Robinia pseudoacacia L.Robinia pseudoacaciat0
- Compound
- soil available-Pe0
- Outcome
- shoot dry weighte0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The shoot dry weight was also significantly correlated with soil available-P”
t0“Robinia pseudoacacia L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Adding 1–2% biochar significantly improved germination, shoot growth and root growth in karst calcareous soil.
- Taxon
- Robinia pseudoacacia L.Robinia pseudoacaciae0
- Treatment
- addition of 1–2% biochare0
- Outcome
- seed germination, shoot and root growthe0
- Direction
- positive impacte0
- Qualifier
- during 240 days of biochar-soil incubatione0
- Setting
- karst calcareous soilse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the addition of 1–2% biochar had a significantly positive impact on seed germination, shoot and root growth of Robinia pseudoacacia L. in karst calcareous soils during 240 days of biochar-soil incubation”
The same questions in other papers
biochar · growth · Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.