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Parthenium hysterophorus is an invasive weed, produces a lot of non edible biomass that is hazardous to humans. This study provides an insight to its beneficial use by converting the biomass into value-added materials like compost and biochar and subsequent amendment in soil as fertilizer. The biochar was prepared in a locally fabricated charcolator while the compost was prepared in a rolling tumbler. Two-year field experiment was set up using different combinations of biochar (BC), compost (C) and commercial fertilizer (CF) in the rice-wheat cultivation system in Lahore, Pakistan to assess soil health and crops performance after characterizing the products using advanced analyses. GCMS analysis has revealed the presence of stigmasterol and campesterol (plant growth promoters) in prepared compost. Field data showed that the combined application of compost and biochar in rice and wheat fields significantly improved the characteristics of soil like SOM and CEC. Agronomic characteristics such as the number of grains per tiller, grain weight and biological yield were significantly higher in C + CF (half dose of each) and almost equal to CF in the first year. In the second year, both crops agronomic performance was considerably more evident and pronounced following the same pattern. All other agronomic features also followed the same pattern. Thus, mixed application of organic and inorganic fertilizer on recurrent basis is recommended to improve yield of wheat and rice along with soil amelioration in the rice wheat cultivation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual cumin and perennial fennel are economically important medicinal crops of cold dry regions of Pakistan. We hypothesized that the cumin, which produces 2-3 times less biomass, will respond to lower rates of mixture of biochar with synthetic NPK fertilizer or manure, compared to fennel. The NPK, poultry manure and their mixture with wood-derived or cow manure-derived biochars were applied for three consecutive years. No positive relation between application rate of biochar-mixed fertilizers and yield of both crops was observed over three years of study, except that manure-derived biochar-NPK mixture had a positive relation (R² = 0.99, P = 0.01) with the yield of fennel only during the third year. Significant positive influences of biochar-based fertilizers compared to control were observed for cumin and fennel of third year cropping. The co-amendment of NPK (0.14 kg ha-1) with manurederived biochar (6.6 t ha-1) consistently increased the yield of cumin during the first two years of cropping, as opposed to NPK fertilizer. Cumin had a greater seed:stover biomass ratio when it received the co-amendment of wood-derived biochar with NPK or poultry manure. Our findings indicate that there is some potential for biochar-fertilizer amendments to improve the growth of these high-value medicinal crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable cotton production is under threat due to poor soil health, exhaustive nature of cotton crop in terms of depleting soil fertility and conventional farming practices. Hence, we investigated the role of soil amendments like biochar, poultry and farmyard manures with synthetic fertilizers to improve the soil mineral nutrients uptake, cotton productivity and overall reduction in nutrients losses. Two year field experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of soil amendment of biochar, poultry and farmyard manures with synthetic fertilizers in improving the soil fertility and cotton productivity under arid climate of South-Punjab, Pakistan in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Experimental findings showed that highest values of soil available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and soil organic matter (SOM) were recorded with the soil incorporation of 5 Mg ha−1 poultry manure (PM) with 80:45:30 kg ha−1 NPK which was followed by soil incorporation of 10 Mg ha−1 farmyard manure (FYM) with 80:45:30 kg ha−1 NPK and soil incorporation of 3.5 Mg ha−1 biochar (BC) with 80:45:30 kg ha−1 NPK and ultimately improved soil fertility. Similarly, highest values of plant height, leaf area index (LAI), monopodial, sympodial branches and total bolls plant−1, boll weight, seed cotton and biological yield were recorded with amendment of 5 PM Mg ha−1 with 80:45:30 kg NPK ha−1 which was followed by 10 Mg FYM ha−1 with 80:45:30 kg NPK ha−1 and soil incorporation of 3.5 Mg BC ha−1 with 80:45:30 kg NPK ha−1 and ultimately improved cotton productivity. Conclusively, soil incorporation of biochar, poultry and farmyard manures with synthetic fertilizers as integrated nutrient management strategy might be a promising adaptation strategy for improving soil mineral nutrients uptake, cotton productivity and overall reduce the nutrients losses under arid environmental conditions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive and unwise use of synthetic fertilizers is a threat to the soil, aerial and human health. In this scenario, eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic fertilizers for maximizing peanut (Arachis hypogea L.) production under arid regions are necessary. Use of biochar and the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) along with reduce doses of synthetic fertilizers has emerged as an eco-friendly way of reducing the dose of synthetic fertilizers for crop production. In this 2-year study, we evaluated the role of PGPRs and biochar with reduce doses of synthetic fertilizers on peanut productivity on a sandy loam soil under an arid climate. The experiment comprised of eight experimental treatments viz. (i) control, (ii) recommended dose of synthetic fertilizer (32-80-32 NPK kg ha−1), (iii) plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR; SR-5), (iv) biochar (10 t ha−1), (v) PGPR + half dose of synthetic fertilizer (i.e., 16-40-16 NPK kg ha−1), (vi) biochar (10 t ha−1) + half dose of synthetic fertilizer, (vii) PGPR + biochar (10 tha−1) and (viii) PGPR + biochar (10 t ha−1) + half dose of synthetic fertilizer. The highest pod yield (1.94 Mg ha−1), seed yield (1110 kg ha−1) and oil contents (52.6%) were recorded when biochar was applied in combination with PGPRs with half dose of synthetic fertilizers which was attributed to a greater number of pods per plant and highest seed weight in this treatment. In crux, biochar application along with PGPRs might be a pragmatic option to boost peanut yield in arid regions with reduce doses of NPK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balochistan produces more than 40% of the total tomato production of Pakistan. The climate of this province is mostly arid, and agriculture around urban areas commonly depends on wastewater irrigation. This study evaluated under groundwater and wastewater irrigation the influence of wood-derived biochar, cow manure and their co-amendment (as 1:1 biochar:manure ratio) at 0.5 kg m−2 (or 5 t ha−1) and 1 kg m−2 (or 10 t ha−1) rate on fruit yield production of tomato, concentration of heavy metals (lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr)), nutrient use efficiency (NUE) of heavy metals (calculated as fruit yield/concentration of a given heavy metal in fruits) and the pH, concentration of mineral nitrogen (N) and soluble inorganic phosphorus (P) of tomato-grown soil. As compared to groundwater irrigation, the biomass and yield production was higher under wastewater irrigation. Organic amendments significantly improved yield production and tended to increase soil pH than control under both irrigation treatments. Wood-derived biochar applied at 1 kg m−2 caused the highest yield under both irrigation treatments. Organic amendments tended to reduce the concentration of Pb, Cu and Cr and increased the NUE of tomato fruits, indicating that fruits require less acquisition of heavy metals per unit yield production. Organic amendments increased the concentration of soluble inorganic P under wastewater irrigation. Our findings suggest that amendment of biochar, manure and their mixture promoted tomato fruit yield under both irrigation treatments, increased NUE of fruits for heavy metals and increased the concentration of soluble P under wastewater irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar can improve soil quality, increase crop production and sequester C in agricultural systems; however, this now needs critical evaluation in a sustainable agricultural context. In Pakistan, there is a gap in cereal-based wheat–maize–wheat cropping systems that lasts between 70–80 days. This “summer gap” can be used for growing short duration legume crops, which can provide valuable grain, fodder, or green manure and can provide a sustainable input of N into agricultural systems. We have used a field-based study to determine the effect of biochar application to an alkaline, nutrient poor, soil on the productivity of legume crops grown during the summer gap. Overall, biochar application (50 t ha−1) increased the productivity and yield of cowpea, mungbean and Sesbania over two cropping seasons compared to unamended non-biochar controls. The integration of biochar and legumes could be a useful strategy for improving the overall farm productivity of cereal-based cropping systems in Pakistan, by delivering a sustainable input of N to soil and providing increased yields from this additional summer gap crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]