Author(s): Desalew Fentie1, Fekremariam Asargew Mihretie2, Yudai Kohira1, Solomon Addisu Legesse3, Berhanu Belay Abune4, Shinjiro Sato1*
1Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Soka University, Tokyo, Japan
2CSIRO, 2-40 Clunies Ross Street, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
3College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
4College of Agriculture, Food and Climate Sciences, Injibara University, Injibara, Ethiopia.
Citation: Fentie D, Mihretie FA, Kohira Y, Legesse SA, Abune BB, Sato S (2024) Locally Produced Biochar Derived from Water Hyacinth Impacts on Soil Nutrients and Bread Wheat Production in Ethiopia. J Earth Envi Sci: JEES-124.
Abstract
Crop production is affected by poor soil conditions such as acidification, nutrient deficiency, and compaction. The use of biochar, made from various biomass, is one of the options to improve those problems. However, few studies have been conducted under field conditions, especially using biochar derived from water hyacinth in a highland of Ethiopia. This study investigated the effects of combining different amounts of water hyacinth biochar (WHB) and NPS (19-38-7) chemical fertilizer on soil nutrients and wheat production conducted in a randomized block design with four replications (a total of 24 experimental plots). Four application rates of WHB (0, 5, 10, and 20 t ha-1) and three rates of chemical fertilizer (0, 100, and 200 kg ha-1) were evaluated during the 2021 and 2022 cropping seasons. The biochar was applied only in the 2021 season and chemical fertilizer was applied in each year. Combined application of 20 t ha-1 WHB and 100 kg ha-1 fertilizer significantly increased soil pH by 1% to 13% and 2.9% to 7.1% in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, respectively. NH4+-N and NO3–N concentrations increased significantly for the plots amended with 20WHB compared to those without biochar in both seasons. Wheat crop dry biomass and grain yield were improved by 13% and 6.4% under treatments of 20 t ha-1 WHB and 200 kg ha-1 fertilizer and 10 t ha-1 WHB and 200 kg ha-1 fertilizer, respectively, in the 2021 season. Similarly, as residual effects in the 2022 season, treatments of 10 t ha-1 WHB and 200 kg ha-1 fertilizer and 20 t ha-1 WHB and 100 kg ha-1 fertilizer improved dry biomass and grain yield by 14% and 11%, respectively, compared to control. Therefore, the amendment of the soil with WHB can be recommended to increase crop production in sustainable conditions in the highlands of Ethiopia.
Keywords: Nitisol, Lake Tana, Residual effect, Bread wheat.
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ISSN: 2835-7868 DOI: 10.47991/2835-7868/JEES-124