Abstract
Arid and semi-arid regions are characterized by high temperature and low rainfall, leading to degraded agricultural soils of alkaline calcareous nature with low organic matter contents. Less availability of indigenous nutrients and efficacy of applied fertilizers are the major issues of crop production in these soils. Biochar application, in combination with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria with the ability to solubilize nutrients, can be an effective strategy for improving soil health and nutrient availability to crops under these conditions. Experiments were planned to evaluate the impact of biochar obtained from different sources in combination with acid-producing, nutrient-solubilizing Bacillus sp. ZM20 on soil biological properties and growth of maize (Zea mays L.) crops under natural conditions. Various biochar treatments, viz. wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw biochar, Egyptian acacia (Vachellia nilotica L.) biochar, and farm-yard manure biochar with and without Bacillus sp. ZM20, were used along with control. Soil used for pot and field trials was sandy loam in texture with poor water holding capacity and deficient in nutrients. Results of the pot trial showed that fresh and dry biomass, 1000 grain weight, and grain yield was significantly improved by application of biochar of different sources with and without Bacillus sp. ZM20. Application of biochar along with Bacillus sp. ZM20 also improved soil biological properties, i.e., soil organic matter, microbial biomass carbon, ammonium, and nitrate nitrogen. It was also observed that a combined application of biochar with Bacillus sp. ZM20 was more effective than a separate application of biochar. The results of wheat straw biochar along with Bacillus sp. ZM20 were better as compared to farm-yard manure biochar and Egyptian acacia biochar. Maximum increase (25.77%) in grain yield was observed in the treatment where wheat straw biochar (0.2%) was applied in combination with Bacillus sp. ZM20. In conclusion, combined application of wheat straw biochar (0.2%) inoculated with Bacillus sp. ZM20 was the most effective treatment in improving the biological soil properties, plant growth, yield, and quality of maize crop as compared to all other treatments.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar of different sources with and without Bacillus sp. ZM20 significantly improved fresh and dry biomass of maize in the pot trial compared with control.
- Treatment
- application of biochar of different sources with and without Bacillus sp. ZM20e1
- Interactor
- Bacillus sp. ZM20e1symbiont
- Outcome
- fresh and dry biomasse1
- Direction
- improvede1
- Comparator
- controle2
- Setting
- pot triale1
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“growth of maize (Zea mays L.) crops”
e1“Results of the pot trial showed that fresh and dry biomass, 1000 grain weight, and grain yield was significantly improved by application of biochar of different sources with and without Bacillus sp. ZM20”
e2“were used along with control”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar with and without Bacillus sp. ZM20 significantly improved 1000 grain weight and grain yield of maize in the pot trial compared with control.
- Treatment
- application of biochar of different sources with and without Bacillus sp. ZM20e1
- Interactor
- Bacillus sp. ZM20e1symbiont
- Outcome
- 1000 grain weight, and grain yielde1
- Direction
- improvede1
- Comparator
- controle2
- Setting
- pot triale1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“growth of maize (Zea mays L.) crops”
e1“Results of the pot trial showed that fresh and dry biomass, 1000 grain weight, and grain yield was significantly improved by application of biochar of different sources with and without Bacillus sp. ZM20”
e2“were used along with control”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar combined with Bacillus sp. ZM20 improved soil organic matter and microbial biomass carbon compared with control.
- Treatment
- Application of biochar along with Bacillus sp. ZM20e6
- Interactor
- Bacillus sp. ZM20e6symbiont
- Outcome
- soil organic matter, microbial biomass carbone6
- Direction
- improvede6
- Comparator
- controle2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“growth of maize (Zea mays L.) crops”
e2“were used along with control”
e6“Application of biochar along with Bacillus sp. ZM20 also improved soil biological properties, i.e., soil organic matter, microbial biomass carbon, ammonium, and nitrate nitrogen”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar combined with Bacillus sp. ZM20 improved ammonium and nitrate nitrogen compared with control.
- Treatment
- Application of biochar along with Bacillus sp. ZM20e6
- Interactor
- Bacillus sp. ZM20e6symbiont
- Outcome
- ammonium, and nitrate nitrogene6
- Direction
- improvede6
- Comparator
- controle2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“growth of maize (Zea mays L.) crops”
e2“were used along with control”
e6“Application of biochar along with Bacillus sp. ZM20 also improved soil biological properties, i.e., soil organic matter, microbial biomass carbon, ammonium, and nitrate nitrogen”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined biochar with Bacillus sp. ZM20 was more effective than a separate application of biochar.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar with Bacillus sp. ZM20e7
- Interactor
- Bacillus sp. ZM20e7symbiont
- Outcome
- effectivee7
- Direction
- more effectivee7
- Comparator
- a separate application of biochare7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“growth of maize (Zea mays L.) crops”
e7“combined application of biochar with Bacillus sp. ZM20 was more effective than a separate application of biochar”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat straw biochar with Bacillus sp. ZM20 gave better results than farm-yard manure and Egyptian acacia biochar.
- Treatment
- wheat straw biochar along with Bacillus sp. ZM20e1
- Interactor
- Bacillus sp. ZM20e1symbiont
- Outcome
- resultse1
- Direction
- bettere1
- Comparator
- farm-yard manure biochar and Egyptian acacia biochare1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“growth of maize (Zea mays L.) crops”
e1“The results of wheat straw biochar along with Bacillus sp. ZM20 were better as compared to farm-yard manure biochar and Egyptian acacia biochar”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat straw biochar at 0.2% with Bacillus sp. ZM20 gave the maximum grain yield increase of 25.77%.
- Treatment
- wheat straw biochar (0.2%) was applied in combination with Bacillus sp. ZM20e1
- Interactor
- Bacillus sp. ZM20e1symbiont
- Outcome
- grain yielde1
- Direction
- increasee1
- Value
- 25.77%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“growth of maize (Zea mays L.) crops”
e1“Maximum increase (25.77%) in grain yield was observed in the treatment where wheat straw biochar (0.2%) was applied in combination with Bacillus sp. ZM20”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat straw biochar at 0.2% inoculated with Bacillus sp. ZM20 was the most effective treatment for soil biological properties, plant growth, yield and quality of maize compared with all other treatments.
- Treatment
- wheat straw biochar (0.2%) inoculated with Bacillus sp. ZM20e1
- Interactor
- Bacillus sp. ZM20e1symbiont
- Outcome
- biological soil properties, plant growth, yield, and qualitye1
- Direction
- improvinge1
- Comparator
- all other treatmentse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“growth of maize (Zea mays L.) crops”
e1“combined application of wheat straw biochar (0.2%) inoculated with Bacillus sp. ZM20 was the most effective treatment in improving the biological soil properties, plant growth, yield, and quality of maize crop as compared to all other treatments”
The same questions in other papers
Triticum aestivum · yield · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
82 papers in the same direction as this paper · 18 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- negative
98 papers more in this group
See all 102 papers →biochar · soil: biology · Zea mays (maize)Results differ
24 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- positive
- no effect
- no effect
23 papers more in this group
See all 27 papers →inoculation · quality: general · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
19 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- no effect
- no effect
21 papers more in this group
See all 25 papers →biochar · nutrient: content · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
115 papers in the same direction as this paper · 6 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- no effect
- no effect
119 papers more in this group
See all 123 papers →biochar · growth · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
179 papers in the same direction as this paper · 9 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- positive
- positive
186 papers more in this group
See all 190 papers →biochar · yield · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
174 papers in the same direction as this paper · 15 in the opposite direction · 3 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- positive
- negative
189 papers more in this group
See all 193 papers →biochar · quality: general · Zea mays (maize)Results agree
5 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
2 papers more in this group
See all 6 papers →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.