Effects of empty fruit bunch biochar and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on soil quality and growth of sweet corn

There has been an increasing interest in biochar research as soil amendments to improve soil properties leading to improve most of plant growth in a sustainable agriculture. Tropical soil is generally unfertile unit, low organic matter, plant nutrients, acidic and low microorganisms that affec...

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Main Author:	Abdulrahman, Diyar Kareem
Format:	Thesis
Language:	English
Published:	2015
Subjects:	Biochar Sweet corn - Growth Soil amendments
Online Access:	http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/67844/1/fp%202015%2064%20ir.pdf
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spelling	my-upm-ir.678442019-04-04T00:14:32Z Effects of empty fruit bunch biochar and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on soil quality and growth of sweet corn 2015-04 Abdulrahman, Diyar Kareem There has been an increasing interest in biochar research as soil amendments to improve soil properties leading to improve most of plant growth in a sustainable agriculture. Tropical soil is generally unfertile unit, low organic matter, plant nutrients, acidic and low microorganisms that affect crop production. Addition of biochar such as empty fruit bunch (EFB) could improve the soil fertility. Laboratory and glasshouse studies were conducted with the following objectives, i) to determine the effect of soil sterilization, EFB biochar and N2-fixing bacteria Stenotrophomonas sp. (Sb16) on indigenous soil microbial population, enzyme activity and soil chemical properties, and ii) to determine the effect of EFB biochar and N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 on growth and nutrient uptake of sweet corn. Five rates of EFB biochar (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1%) were applied to sterilized and non-sterilized soil either with or without N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 and incubated for 40 days under laboratory condition. The factorial study was arranged in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with 3 replications. Microbial population, enzyme activity and chemical properties of soil were determined at the end of incubation. Sweet corn was grown in pots containing 6 kg soil and applied with the 5 levels of EFB biochar (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 t/ha) either with or without bacteria Sb16. Plants were sampled at tasseling stage and analyzed for dry biomass, chlorophyll content and nutrient uptake. Soil samples were analyzed for soil biochemical and microbiological properties. Results of laboratory study showed that application of EFB biochar at 0.5% without inoculation and 0.25% with N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 in both soils significantly increased population of soil bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and N2-fixing bacteria (NFB), enzymes (urease, acid phosphatase and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDA) activity), and soil chemical properties (pH, organic C, total N, available P and exchangeable K, Ca and Mg. A glasshouse experiment showed that application of EFB biochar at 5 t/ha and N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 significantly (P<0.05) improved growth of corn (shoot and root biomass, root length, root volume, plant height and leaf chlorophyll content, nutrient uptake), soil microbial populations, FDA and selected soil chemical properties. The EFB biochar at 5 t/ha and N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 stimulated soil quality and plant growth. Addition of high EFB rates (15 and 20 t/ha) to soil negatively affected all the observed parameters. Addition of EFB biochar to soil with N2-fixing bacteria may be an alternative solution in improving nutrients, enzymes and diversity of microorganisms in soil and thus led to improve plant growth. The studies showed that application of EFB biochar at 5 t/ha or 0.25% with N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 and 10 t/ha or 0.5% without bacteria inoculated improved corn growth and the quality of soil for sustainable corn production. Biochar Sweet corn - Growth Soil amendments 2015-04 Thesis http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/67844/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/67844/1/fp%202015%2064%20ir.pdf text en public masters Universiti Putra Malaysia Biochar Sweet corn - Growth Soil amendments
institution	Universiti Putra Malaysia
collection	PSAS Institutional Repository
language	English
topic	Biochar Sweet corn - Growth Soil amendments
spellingShingle	Biochar Sweet corn - Growth Soil amendments Abdulrahman, Diyar Kareem Effects of empty fruit bunch biochar and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on soil quality and growth of sweet corn
description	There has been an increasing interest in biochar research as soil amendments to improve soil properties leading to improve most of plant growth in a sustainable agriculture. Tropical soil is generally unfertile unit, low organic matter, plant nutrients, acidic and low microorganisms that affect crop production. Addition of biochar such as empty fruit bunch (EFB) could improve the soil fertility. Laboratory and glasshouse studies were conducted with the following objectives, i) to determine the effect of soil sterilization, EFB biochar and N2-fixing bacteria Stenotrophomonas sp. (Sb16) on indigenous soil microbial population, enzyme activity and soil chemical properties, and ii) to determine the effect of EFB biochar and N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 on growth and nutrient uptake of sweet corn. Five rates of EFB biochar (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1%) were applied to sterilized and non-sterilized soil either with or without N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 and incubated for 40 days under laboratory condition. The factorial study was arranged in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with 3 replications. Microbial population, enzyme activity and chemical properties of soil were determined at the end of incubation. Sweet corn was grown in pots containing 6 kg soil and applied with the 5 levels of EFB biochar (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 t/ha) either with or without bacteria Sb16. Plants were sampled at tasseling stage and analyzed for dry biomass, chlorophyll content and nutrient uptake. Soil samples were analyzed for soil biochemical and microbiological properties. Results of laboratory study showed that application of EFB biochar at 0.5% without inoculation and 0.25% with N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 in both soils significantly increased population of soil bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and N2-fixing bacteria (NFB), enzymes (urease, acid phosphatase and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDA) activity), and soil chemical properties (pH, organic C, total N, available P and exchangeable K, Ca and Mg. A glasshouse experiment showed that application of EFB biochar at 5 t/ha and N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 significantly (P<0.05) improved growth of corn (shoot and root biomass, root length, root volume, plant height and leaf chlorophyll content, nutrient uptake), soil microbial populations, FDA and selected soil chemical properties. The EFB biochar at 5 t/ha and N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 stimulated soil quality and plant growth. Addition of high EFB rates (15 and 20 t/ha) to soil negatively affected all the observed parameters. Addition of EFB biochar to soil with N2-fixing bacteria may be an alternative solution in improving nutrients, enzymes and diversity of microorganisms in soil and thus led to improve plant growth. The studies showed that application of EFB biochar at 5 t/ha or 0.25% with N2-fixing bacteria Sb16 and 10 t/ha or 0.5% without bacteria inoculated improved corn growth and the quality of soil for sustainable corn production.
format	Thesis
qualification_level	Master's degree
author	Abdulrahman, Diyar Kareem
author_facet	Abdulrahman, Diyar Kareem
author_sort	Abdulrahman, Diyar Kareem
title	Effects of empty fruit bunch biochar and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on soil quality and growth of sweet corn
title_short	Effects of empty fruit bunch biochar and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on soil quality and growth of sweet corn
title_full	Effects of empty fruit bunch biochar and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on soil quality and growth of sweet corn
title_fullStr	Effects of empty fruit bunch biochar and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on soil quality and growth of sweet corn
title_full_unstemmed	Effects of empty fruit bunch biochar and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on soil quality and growth of sweet corn
title_sort	effects of empty fruit bunch biochar and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on soil quality and growth of sweet corn
granting_institution	Universiti Putra Malaysia
publishDate	2015
url	http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/67844/1/fp%202015%2064%20ir.pdf
_version_	1747812524757090304

Effects of empty fruit bunch biochar and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on soil quality and growth of sweet corn

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