Abstract
Biochar has gained attention in agricultural studies due to its ability to ameliorate soil conditions. However, due to its low nutrient content, positive effects on plant growth are generally only observed if combined with mineral fertilizers or manures. The study aimed to test the hypothesis that biochar used to treat domestic wastewater can become enriched with nutrients and subsequently serve as a better soil amendment. The impact of the application of biochar used as substrate in a filter for domestic wastewater treatment (TB) on the growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa) plant was evaluated. Its effect on plant growth was compared to pure biochar (BC) using bare soil as a control. The biochars were applied with and without fertilizer using 3 biochar application rates (10, 20 and 30 t/ha). Results showed that biochar does not become enriched after wastewater purification in the short run. Instead, there was a reduction in the mineral composition, available phosphorus and pH in TB compared to BC. Only the BC treatments were significantly different (p=0.001) from the control. However, higher biomass production at 30 t/ha was observed in BC (+322%) and TB (+142%), compared with the unfertilized control. There were no significant differences in biomass production between the biochar and control treatments for application rates below 30 t/ha. Fertilization significantly (p=0.024) improved biomass production with the BC30+F treatments demonstrating the highest performance (+315%) compared to the fertilized control.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Wastewater-used biochar had reduced mineral composition, available phosphorus and pH relative to pure biochar.
- Taxon
- lettuce
Lactuca sativat0 - Material
- TBe0
- Outcome
- mineral composition, available phosphorus and pHe0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Comparator
- BCe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there was a reduction in the mineral composition, available phosphorus and pH in TB compared to BC”
t0“lettuce (Lactuca sativa)”
Claim · model-written summary
Only pure biochar treatments differed significantly from control.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- BC treatmentse0
- Outcome
- significantly differente0
- Comparator
- controle0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Only the BC treatments were significantly different (p=0.001) from the control”
t0“lettuce (Lactuca sativa)”
Claim · model-written summary
Pure biochar at 30 t/ha increased biomass by 322% versus unfertilized control.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- BCe0
- Outcome
- biomass productione0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- +322%e0
- Qualifier
- 30 t/hae0
- Comparator
- unfertilized controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“higher biomass production at 30 t/ha was observed in BC (+322%) and TB (+142%), compared with the unfertilized control”
t0“lettuce (Lactuca sativa)”
Claim · model-written summary
Wastewater-used biochar at 30 t/ha increased biomass by 142% versus unfertilized control.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- TBe0
- Outcome
- biomass productione0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- +142%e0
- Qualifier
- 30 t/hae0
- Comparator
- unfertilized controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“higher biomass production at 30 t/ha was observed in BC (+322%) and TB (+142%), compared with the unfertilized control”
t0“lettuce (Lactuca sativa)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar below 30 t/ha did not significantly differ from control in biomass.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- biochare0
- Outcome
- biomass productione0
- Direction
- no significant differencese0
- Qualifier
- application rates below 30 t/hae0
- Comparator
- control treatmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There were no significant differences in biomass production between the biochar and control treatments for application rates below 30 t/ha”
t0“lettuce (Lactuca sativa)”
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilization significantly improved biomass production.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- Fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- biomass productione0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fertilization significantly (p=0.024) improved biomass production”
t0“lettuce (Lactuca sativa)”
Claim · model-written summary
BC30+F had the highest biomass performance, 315% above fertilized control.
- Taxon
- lettuceLactuca sativat0
- Treatment
- BC30+F treatmentse0
- Outcome
- performancee0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- +315%e0
- Comparator
- fertilized controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BC30+F treatments demonstrating the highest performance (+315%) compared to the fertilized control”
t0“lettuce (Lactuca sativa)”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · yield · Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce)Positive and negative results
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- negative
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See all 249 papers →biochar · yield · Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce)Results agree
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- positive
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See all 17 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.