Abstract
Abstract Biochar amendments offer promising potential to improve soil fertility, soil organic carbon (SOC) and crop yields; however, a limited research has explored these benefits of biochar in the arid and semi‐arid regions. This two‐year field study investigated the effects of Acacia tree biomass‐derived biochar, applied at 0 and 10 t ha ‒1 rates with farmyard manure (FYM) or poultry manure (PM) and mineral phosphorus (P) fertilizer combinations (100 kg P ha ‐1 ), on maize ( Zea mays L.) productivity, P use efficiency (PUE) and farm profitability. The application of biochar with organic–inorganic P fertilizers significantly increased soil P and SOC contents than the sole organic or inorganic P fertilizers. Addition of biochar and PM as 100% P source resulted in the highest soil P (104% increase over control) and SOC contents (203% higher than control). However, maize productivity and PUE were significantly higher under balanced P fertilizer (50% organic + 50% mineral fertilizer) with biochar and the increase was 110%, 94% and 170% than 100%‐FYM, 100%‐PM and 100% mineral fertilizer, respectively. Maize productivity and yield correlated significantly positively with soil P and SOC contents These positive effects were possibly due to the ability of biochar to improve soil properties, P availability from organic–inorganic fertilizers and SOC which resulted in higher PUE and maize productivity. Despite the significant positive relationship of PUE with net economic returns, biochar incorporation with PM and mineral fertilizer combination was economically profitable, whereas FYM along biochar was not profitable due to short duration of the field experiments.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar with organic–inorganic P fertilizers significantly increased soil P compared with sole organic or inorganic fertilizer.
- Treatment
- biochar with organic–inorganic P fertilizerse0
- Outcome
- soil Pe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- sole organic or inorganic P fertilizerse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“The application of biochar with organic–inorganic P fertilizers significantly increased soil P and SOC contents than the sole organic or inorganic P fertilizers”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar with organic–inorganic P fertilizers significantly increased SOC compared with sole fertilizer.
- Treatment
- biochar with organic–inorganic P fertilizerse0
- Outcome
- SOC contentse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- sole organic or inorganic P fertilizerse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“The application of biochar with organic–inorganic P fertilizers significantly increased soil P and SOC contents than the sole organic or inorganic P fertilizers”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar and PM as the entire P source increased soil P by 104% over control.
- Treatment
- biochar and PM as 100% P sourcee0
- Outcome
- soil Pe0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 104%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Addition of biochar and PM as 100% P source resulted in the highest soil P (104% increase over control)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar and PM as the entire P source increased SOC by 203% over control.
Not reportedTaxonTreatment
Verbatim
e0“SOC contents (203% higher than control)”
Claim · model-written summary
Balanced P fertilizer with biochar raised maize productivity by 110% compared with 100% FYM.
- Treatment
- balanced P fertilizer (50% organic + 50% mineral fertilizer) with biochare0
- Outcome
- maize productivitye0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 110%e0
- Comparator
- 100%‐FYMe0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize productivity and PUE were significantly higher under balanced P fertilizer (50% organic + 50% mineral fertilizer) with biochar and the increase was 110%, 94% and 170% than 100%‐FYM, 100%‐PM and 100% mineral fertilizer, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Balanced P fertilizer with biochar raised maize productivity by 94% compared with 100% PM.
- Treatment
- balanced P fertilizer (50% organic + 50% mineral fertilizer) with biochare0
- Outcome
- maize productivitye0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 94%e0
- Comparator
- 100%‐PMe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize productivity and PUE were significantly higher under balanced P fertilizer (50% organic + 50% mineral fertilizer) with biochar and the increase was 110%, 94% and 170% than 100%‐FYM, 100%‐PM and 100% mineral fertilizer, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Balanced P fertilizer with biochar raised maize productivity by 170% compared with mineral fertilizer.
- Treatment
- balanced P fertilizer (50% organic + 50% mineral fertilizer) with biochare0
- Outcome
- maize productivitye0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 170%e0
- Comparator
- 100% mineral fertilizere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize productivity and PUE were significantly higher under balanced P fertilizer (50% organic + 50% mineral fertilizer) with biochar and the increase was 110%, 94% and 170% than 100%‐FYM, 100%‐PM and 100% mineral fertilizer, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Balanced P fertilizer with biochar significantly increased PUE.
- Treatment
- balanced P fertilizer (50% organic + 50% mineral fertilizer) with biochare0
- Outcome
- PUEe0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize productivity and PUE were significantly higher under balanced P fertilizer (50% organic + 50% mineral fertilizer) with biochar”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize productivity and yield correlated positively with soil P and SOC.
Not reportedCompoundSetting
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize productivity and yield correlated significantly positively with soil P and SOC contents”
Claim · model-written summary
PUE had a significant positive relationship with net economic returns.
Not reportedTaxonSetting
Verbatim
e0“significant positive relationship of PUE with net economic returns”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar with PM and mineral fertilizer was economically profitable.
- Treatment
- biochar incorporation with PM and mineral fertilizer combinatione0
- Outcome
- economically profitablee0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“biochar incorporation with PM and mineral fertilizer combination was economically profitable”
Claim · model-written summary
FYM with biochar was not profitable.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“FYM along biochar was not profitable”
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