Abstract
Although biochar amendment could increase crop yield globally, it remains unclear how biochar improves grain yield. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the role of plant roots in promoting crop growth under biochar amendment. The field experiment, started in 2015, was conducted in a rainfed region of North China. We hypothesized that biochar increases maize yield by promoting root growth. In the first year (2015), maize grain yield increased by 23.9% and 25.3% under biochar application rate of 20 and 40 t ha−1, respectively. Biochar increased the biomass of maize stalk and root and their potassium uptake significantly. The root morphology of maize also improved significantly following biochar amendment. Yet, the double increase in biochar application rate did not lead to any additional grain yield increase. The grain yield was positively correlated with the maize ear size, the soil organic carbon content, the biomass of maize stalk and root and their K uptake. In the second year (2016), however, biochar had no effect on the root morphology and the grain yield was not affected. Here we show that biochar increases maize yield by increasing maize ear size directly and by promoting root growth and nutrient uptake indirectly.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
20 t ha−1 biochar increased 2015 maize grain yield by 23.9%.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the first year (2015), maize grain yield increased by 23.9% and 25.3% under biochar application rate of 20 and 40 t ha−1, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
40 t ha−1 biochar increased 2015 maize grain yield by 25.3%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the first year (2015), maize grain yield increased by 23.9% and 25.3% under biochar application rate of 20 and 40 t ha−1, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar significantly increased maize stalk biomass.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Biochar increased the biomass of maize stalk and root and their potassium uptake significantly”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar significantly increased maize root biomass.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Biochar increased the biomass of maize stalk and root and their potassium uptake significantly”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar significantly increased potassium uptake of stalk and root.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Biochar increased the biomass of maize stalk and root and their potassium uptake significantly”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar significantly improved maize root morphology.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The root morphology of maize also improved significantly following biochar amendment”
Claim · model-written summary
Doubling biochar rate caused no further grain-yield increase.
- Treatment
- double increase in biochar application ratee0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- did not lead to any additional grain yield increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the double increase in biochar application rate did not lead to any additional grain yield increase”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Grain yield correlated positively with ear size, soil organic carbon, stalk and root biomass, and K uptake.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The grain yield was positively correlated with the maize ear size, the soil organic carbon content, the biomass of maize stalk and root and their K uptake”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar had no effect on root morphology in 2016.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the second year (2016), however, biochar had no effect on the root morphology and the grain yield was not affected”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar did not affect grain yield in 2016.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the second year (2016), however, biochar had no effect on the root morphology and the grain yield was not affected”
t0“maize”
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