Abstract
Abstract Background Soil fertility decline due to nutrient mining coupled with low inorganic fertilizer usage is a major cause of low crop yields across sub-Saharan Africa. Recently, biochar potential to improve soil fertility has gained significant attention but there are limited studies on the use of biochar as an alternative to inorganic fertilizers. In this study, we determined the effect of maize stover biochar without inorganic fertilizers on soil chemical properties, growth and yield of tomatoes ( Solanum lycopersicum L.). A field experiment was conducted in 2022 for two consecutive seasons in Northern Uganda. The experiment included five treatments; inorganic fertilizer (control), biochar applied at rates of 3.5, 6.9, 13.8 and 27.6 t ha −1 . Results In this study, maize stover biochar improved all the soil chemical properties. Compared to the control, pH significantly increased by 27% in the 27.6 t ha −1 while total N increased by 35.6% in the 13.8 t ha −1 . Although P was significantly low in the 3.5 t ha −1 , 6.9 t ha −1 and 13.8 t ha −1 , it increased by 3.9% in the 27.6 t ha −1 . Exchangeable K was significantly increased by 42.7% and 56.7% in the 13.8 t ha −1 and 27.6 t ha −1 respectively. Exchangeable Ca and Mg were also higher in the biochar treatment than the control. Results also showed that plant height, shoot weight, and all yield parameters were significantly higher in the inorganic fertilizer treatment than in the 3.5, 6.9, and 13.8 t ha −1 treatments. Interestingly, maize stover biochar at 27. 6 t ha −1 increased fruit yield by 16.1% compared to the control suggesting it could be used as an alternative to inorganic fertilizer. Conclusions Maize stover biochar applied at 27.6 t ha −1 improved soil chemical properties especially pH, N, P and K promoting growth and yield of tomatoes. Therefore, maize stover biochar could be recommended as an alternative to expensive inorganic fertilizers for tomato production in Northern Uganda.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar at 27.6 t ha −1 increased soil pH by 27% relative to inorganic fertilizer.
- Taxon
- tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Treatment
- 27.6 t ha −1e0
- Outcome
- pHe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 27%e0
- Comparator
- inorganic fertilizer (control)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compared to the control, pH significantly increased by 27% in the 27.6 t ha −1”
e1“inorganic fertilizer (control)”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar at 13.8 t ha −1 increased soil total N by 35.6%.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 13.8 t ha −1e0
- Outcome
- total Ne0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 35.6%e0
- Comparator
- inorganic fertilizer (control)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“total N increased by 35.6% in the 13.8 t ha −1”
e1“inorganic fertilizer (control)”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil P was significantly lower with 3.5 t ha −1 biochar.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 3.5 t ha −1e0
- Outcome
- Pe0
- Direction
- lowe0
- Comparator
- inorganic fertilizer (control)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“P was significantly low in the 3.5 t ha −1 , 6.9 t ha −1 and 13.8 t ha −1”
e1“inorganic fertilizer (control)”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil P was significantly lower with 6.9 t ha −1 biochar.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 6.9 t ha −1e0
- Outcome
- Pe0
- Direction
- lowe0
- Comparator
- inorganic fertilizer (control)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“P was significantly low in the 3.5 t ha −1 , 6.9 t ha −1 and 13.8 t ha −1”
e1“inorganic fertilizer (control)”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil P was significantly lower with 13.8 t ha −1 biochar.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 13.8 t ha −1e0
- Outcome
- Pe0
- Direction
- lowe0
- Comparator
- inorganic fertilizer (control)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“P was significantly low in the 3.5 t ha −1 , 6.9 t ha −1 and 13.8 t ha −1”
e1“inorganic fertilizer (control)”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil P increased by 3.9% with 27.6 t ha −1 biochar.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 27.6 t ha −1e0
- Outcome
- Pe1
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 3.9%e0
- Comparator
- inorganic fertilizer (control)e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“it increased by 3.9% in the 27.6 t ha −1”
e1“Although P was significantly low”
e2“inorganic fertilizer (control)”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Exchangeable K increased by 42.7% with 13.8 t ha −1 biochar.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 13.8 t ha −1e0
- Outcome
- Exchangeable Ke0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 42.7%e0
- Comparator
- inorganic fertilizer (control)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Exchangeable K was significantly increased by 42.7% and 56.7% in the 13.8 t ha −1 and 27.6 t ha −1 respectively.”
e1“inorganic fertilizer (control)”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Exchangeable K increased by 56.7% with 27.6 t ha −1 biochar.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- 27.6 t ha −1e0
- Outcome
- Exchangeable Ke0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 56.7%e0
- Comparator
- inorganic fertilizer (control)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Exchangeable K was significantly increased by 42.7% and 56.7% in the 13.8 t ha −1 and 27.6 t ha −1 respectively.”
e1“inorganic fertilizer (control)”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar treatments had higher exchangeable Ca and Mg than inorganic fertilizer.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- biochar treatmente0
- Outcome
- Exchangeable Ca and Mge0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- inorganic fertilizer (control)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Exchangeable Ca and Mg were also higher in the biochar treatment than the control.”
e1“inorganic fertilizer (control)”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant height, shoot weight and yield parameters were higher with inorganic fertilizer than 3.5 t ha −1 biochar.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- inorganic fertilizer treatmente0
- Outcome
- plant height, shoot weight, and all yield parameterse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- 3.5e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plant height, shoot weight, and all yield parameters were significantly higher in the inorganic fertilizer treatment than in the 3.5, 6.9, and 13.8 t ha −1 treatments.”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant height, shoot weight and yield parameters were higher with inorganic fertilizer than 6.9 t ha −1 biochar.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- inorganic fertilizer treatmente0
- Outcome
- plant height, shoot weight, and all yield parameterse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- 6.9e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plant height, shoot weight, and all yield parameters were significantly higher in the inorganic fertilizer treatment than in the 3.5, 6.9, and 13.8 t ha −1 treatments.”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant height, shoot weight and yield parameters were higher with inorganic fertilizer than 13.8 t ha −1 biochar.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- inorganic fertilizer treatmente0
- Outcome
- plant height, shoot weight, and all yield parameterse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- 13.8 t ha −1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plant height, shoot weight, and all yield parameters were significantly higher in the inorganic fertilizer treatment than in the 3.5, 6.9, and 13.8 t ha −1 treatments.”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar at 27. 6 t ha −1 increased fruit yield by 16.1% over inorganic fertilizer.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- maize stover biochar at 27. 6 t ha −1e0
- Outcome
- fruit yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 16.1%e0
- Comparator
- inorganic fertilizer (control)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize stover biochar at 27. 6 t ha −1 increased fruit yield by 16.1% compared to the control”
e1“inorganic fertilizer (control)”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend maize stover biochar as an alternative fertilizer for tomato production in Northern Uganda.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Outcome
- maize stover biochar could be recommended as an alternative to expensive inorganic fertilizerse0
- Setting
- Northern Ugandae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize stover biochar could be recommended as an alternative to expensive inorganic fertilizers for tomato production in Northern Uganda.”
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