Impacts of Different Sources of Biochar on Plant Growth Characteristics

A net-house experiment was conducted to assess the impacts of different sources of biochar on growth and development of plant. Three different types of biomasses viz., cow dung, poultry manure and sewage sludge produced were used for the study. An upland leafy vegetable commonly known as kalmi (Ipomoea aquatic) was used for pot culture experiment. The biomass or biochar was applied to the soil at a rate of 5 t/ha and the pots were arranged following completely randomized design. A number of physical, chemical and physico-chemical properties of the soil, biochar, biomass and plant samples were analyzed in the laboratory. Biochar treated soils showed higher CEC than the corresponding biomass treated ones. Organic carbon in biochar treated soils was also higher. Total nitrogen contents of biomass treatments were higher than biochar treatments. Phosphorus, potassium and sulphur concentrations of the treated soils increased after harvesting. The paper discusses plant growth and agricultural crop production vis-à-vis biochar application, indicating that the materials might not exert similar positive effects as their biomass sources and thereby likely to jeopardize crop production and soil health.