Effects of integrated use of coffee husk and maize straw biochar‐based fertilizers on maize yields, nutrient uptake and soil properties in southern Ethiopia
· Vadose Zone Journal· Vol 25· 0 citations· 58 references
Abstract
In Ethiopia, the use of fertilizer is low due to high cost and limited availability, leading to low yields. Using organic amendment, such as biochar together with mineral fertilizers could be a more effective solution. A field experiment was conducted in clay‐textured soil with a slightly acidic pH of 5.82, located in southern Ethiopia to determine the effects of two different types of biochar, including coffee (Coffea Arabica) husk and maize (Zea mays L) straw biochars, at three application rates (0, 2.5, and 5 t per hectare) with and without mineral fertilizer on maize yields, nutrient uptake, and soil properties. The experimental design used was a randomized complete block design with 10 treatments and three replications. Three‐way analysis of variance was conducted to quantify the effects of biochar type, rate, and mineral fertilizer combinations on maize yields, nutrient uptake, and selected soil properties. Biochar application, alone or with fertilizer, improved maize yields, nutrient uptake (N and P), and soil properties (organic carbon, bulk density, and soil moisture content) significantly. Coffee husk biochar outperformed maize straw biochar by 44% in enhancing maize yield. Coffee husk biochar was also better in improving soil properties (4%, 5%, and 13% enhancement of organic carbon, soil moisture content, and soil bulk density, respectively, compared to maize straw biochar). Increasing the biochar application rate from 2.5 to 5 t ha−1 resulted in maize grain yield increase of 45.1%, irrespective of the biochar type. Combining coffee husk biochar at 5 t ha−1 with mineral fertilizer showed the best results in terms of nutrient uptake, maize yield, and soil improvement. This study suggests that using biochar from coffee husk and maize straw can boost maize productivity in similar environments by enhancing soil moisture and nutrient availability.
Declining soil fertility is a major constraint to sustainable crop production in sub-Saharan Africa, and sole reliance on inorganic fertilizers raises concerns about long-term soil health. This study evaluated the effects of maize cob biochar and NPK fertilizer, applied individually and in combination, on soil properties, growth, and yield of maize (
Zea mays
L.) in Akure, Nigeria. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Treatments included control, biochar (1.5 and 3.0 t/ha), NPK fertilizer (100 and 200 kg/ha), and a combined application of 1.5 t/ha biochar with 100 kg/ha fertilizer. Growth parameters measured included plant height, leaf area index, internode length, and stem girth, while yield indices and post-harvest soil chemical properties were also assessed. Results showed that all treatments significantly improved maize performance compared to the control. Biochar alone produced the highest growth values and yield components, including cob weight (375.12 g), number of seeds per cob (707.80), and seed weight per cob (203.53 g), compared to the control (161.50 g, 104.73, and 37.49 g, respectively). The combined treatment also recorded high values (313.52 g, 670.50, and 169.94 g). Biochar improved soil properties, increasing organic carbon (0.89%) and organic matter (1.52%) relative to the control (0.69% and 0.19%), while fertilizer enhanced available phosphorus (5.39 cmol/kg). The study concludes that integrating maize cob biochar with inorganic fertilizer is an effective and sustainable strategy for improving soil fertility and maize productivity.
O. Nwafor, A. Johnson, Akinbuwa Olumakinde et al.· Advances in Bioscience and B...· 0 citations
Soil acidity, characterized by aluminum toxicity and nutrient fixation, significantly limits food barley production in the Ethiopian highlands. This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of Biochar, wood ash, and lime on soil properties, barley yield, and economic returns in Legambo District. A field experiment was conducted using a 3 × 3 × 3 factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replications, testing Biochar (0, 5, 10 t ha⁻¹), wood ash (0, 0.2855, 0.571 t ha⁻¹), and lime (0, 5, 10 t ha⁻¹). The integrated application significantly improved soil fertility, raising pH from 5.2 to 6.8 and increasing available phosphorus by 204.6%. The highest gain yield (4.31244 t ha⁻¹) was achieved with the 10-0.571-10 treatment combination. However, partial budget analysis revealed that the 5-0.571-10 (t ha⁻¹) treatment provided the highest net benefit (368,668 ETB ha⁻¹). In contrast, the 0-0.571-10 (t ha- 1) interaction emerged as the most economically efficient option, boasting a remarkable marginal rate of return of 791.71%. Consequently, an integrated approach using Biochar levels with wood ash and lime is recommended as a sustainable strategy for regional food security and for soil fertility management.
ABSTRACT Soil acidity is a major constraint to barley production in the Southern Highlands of Ethiopia. An on-farm experiment was conducted during the 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons on strongly acidic Nitisols (pH 4.7) to evaluate the effects of integrated application of vermicompost (VC), inorganic nitrogen (N), and lime on soil chemical properties and barley productivity. Nine treatments, comprising a control, sole and combined applications of VC and N at different proportions, and integrated treatments with lime (3 t ha−1), were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Integrated application of VC, N, and lime significantly increased soil pH, available phosphorus, soil organic carbon, and total nitrogen while reducing exchangeable acidity compared with the control and sole nutrient applications. Grain yield and yield components were also significantly improved in both cropping seasons. The combined application of 50% VC + 50% N + 3 t ha−1 lime produced the greatest improvements in soil fertility and barley yield, indicating synergistic effects of integrating organic, inorganic, and liming materials for acidic soil management. The integrated application of 100 kg urea + 100 kg NPSB + 5 t vermicompost ha⁻¹ is recommended for farmers seeking to maximize barley productivity and overall profitability because it generated the highest grain yield and net benefit. However, for resource-constrained farmers with limited capital, the sole application of 100 kg urea ha⁻¹ is a practical alternative because it produced the highest marginal rate of return, indicating greater economic efficiency per unit of additional investment. Improved soil fertility and grain yield in the second cropping season demonstrated residual benefits of the integrated treatments. Overall, integrated use of vermicompost, nitrogen fertilizer, and lime was more effective than sole nutrient applications in improving soil fertility and sustaining barley production on acidic Nitisols.
Getahun Haile, M. Lemenih, G. Agegnehu· Communications in Soil Scien...· 0 citations
Rice production in Indonesia increasingly relies on agricultural intensification, which can accelerate soil degradation and reduce fertilizer-use efficiency. Therefore, sustainable soil management is needed to maintain soil fertility. Silica-enriched rice husk biochar (biochar-silica) is a promising soil amendment because it improves soil properties and nutrient retention. This study evaluated the effects of biochar-silica and NPK fertilization on soil total nitrogen, nitrogen uptake, and yield of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.). The experiment was conducted from September 2025 to January 2026 using a two-factor randomized block design with nine treatment combinations and three replications. The treatment consisted of three levels of amendment (0 t biochar ha−1; 1.25 t biochar ha−1 + 160 kg SiO2 ha−1; 2.5 t biochar ha−1 + 320 kg SiO2 ha−1) and three levels of NPK fertilizer application (0 kg urea ha−1 + 50 kg SP-36 ha−1 + 37.5 kg KCl ha−1; 100 kg urea ha−1 + 50 kg SP-36 ha−1 + 37.5 kg KCl ha−1; 200 kg urea ha−1 + 100 kg SP-36 ha−1 + 75 kg KCl ha−1). Significant interaction effects were observed on soil total nitrogen, harvested dry grain yield, and milled dry grain yield, whereas nitrogen uptake was significantly affected only by NPK fertilizer application. Under the experimental conditions, the interaction between biochar-silica and NPK fertilizer application resulted in soil total nitrogen to 0.42% and milled dry grain yield to 6.63 t ha⁻¹. These findings demonstrate that integrating biochar-silica with NPK fertilizer application can improve soil nitrogen status and support lowland rice production.
E. Sofyan, O. Mulyani, Ania Citraresmini et al.· Kultivasi· 0 citations
Biochar and poultry litter have been proposed as soil amendments to improve soil health in coarse-textured agricultural soils, yet their field performance under southeastern U.S. conditions remains inconclusive. This two-year field study evaluated five biochar application rates (0–44.8 Mg ha−1) combined with inorganic fertilizer or poultry litter on selected soil health indicators in a sandy loam Ultisol under sweet corn production in the Georgia Coastal Plain. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications and analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Biochar application did not significantly affect aggregate stability, pH, cation exchange capacity, soluble salts, organic matter, active carbon, or estimated nitrogen mineralization, with only a marginal three-way interaction observed for microbial respiration. Poultry litter significantly increased microbial respiration relative to inorganic fertilizer, whereas responses for the remaining soil health indicators were broadly similar between fertilizer sources. Year was the dominant source of variation, with extreme rainfall in 2024 reducing aggregate stability, soluble salts, microbial respiration, and nitrogen mineralization while increasing organic matter and active carbon. These findings indicate that short-term soil health responses were driven primarily by environmental conditions rather than management practices. Under the conditions of this study, either fertilizer source can be used successfully, whereas longer-term studies are needed to determine whether biochar aging enhances soil function in sandy loam Ultisols.
Emilio Suarez, Hayley Milner, J. C. Díaz Pérez et al.· AgriEngineering· 0 citations
Increased food production has become a global urgency due to population growth and limited productive land. Efficient use of resources, particularly water, and optimization of marginal land such as peat soil are important strategies in sustainable agricultural production. This study introduces a novel combination of water depth management and biochar application to improve rice growth and yield on peat soils, an approach that has been rarely explored. The study was conducted using a Randomized Block Design with a 4 × 4 factorial pattern consisting of two factors. The first factor was water depth with four levels: 0, 3, 6, and 9 cm. The second factor was biochar dose with four levels: 0, 4, 6, and 8 tons ha−1. The results showed that water level did not significantly affect rice plant growth and yield. However, biochar dose treatment significantly affected plant height growth and plant productivity. The control treatment (without biochar) produced a yield of 1.47 ton ha−1, which falls within the typical range of rice yields on peat soils (1.1-1.9 tons ha−1). Application of 6 tons ha−1 of biochar increased yield by 1.12 tons ha−1 compared to the control, representing an improvement of approximately 76%. These findings indicate that the combination of water depth management and biochar application effectively improves rice productivity on peat soils. This study contributes new insights to peatland rice management by recommending a water depth of 0 cm combined with 6 tons ha−1 of biochar as an effective and sustainable strategy to enhance rice yield.
M. Fajarna, Helmi, M. Sayuthi· IOP Conference Series: Earth...· 0 citations
