Farmer-led maize biochar trials: effect on crop yield and soil nutrients under conservation farming
Abstract
Abstract In extensive farmer‐led trials practicing conservation farming (CF) in three regions of Zambia (Mongu: sandy soils; Kaoma: sandy or loamy sand soils; Mkushi: sandy loam or loamy soils), we studied the effects of biochar made of maize cobs (0, 2, and 6 t ha−1corresponding to 0, 0.8, and 2.5% per basin) at different fertilizer rates of NPK and urea on crop yield of maize (Zea mays) and groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea). Conservation farming in this case combines minimum tillage (how basins), crop rotation and residue retention. For the first time, the effect of biochar onin situsoil nutrient supply rates [determined by buried Plant Root Simulator (PRS™) exchange resins] was studied, as well as the effects of biochar on elemental composition of maize. Effects of 0–10% (w:w) biochar addition on soil physical and soil chemical properties were determined in the laboratory. At all sites there was a consistent positive response in crop yield upon the addition of biochar. However, due to a great variability between farms there were no significant differences in absolute yields between the treatments. In the sandy soils at Mongu, relative yields (i.e., percentage yield with biochar relative to the same fertilizer rate without biochar) of maize grains and maize stover were significantly increased at recommended fertilizer rates (232 ± 60%) and at half the recommended rate (128 ± 6%), respectively. In addition, biochar significantly increased concentrations of K and P in maize stover.In situsoil nutrient supply rates as measured by PRS™‐probes were highly spatially variable with no consistent effects of the different treatments in the three regions. By contrast, the fraction of plant available water (Vol.‐%) significantly increased upon the addition of biochar in all three soils. The increase caused by 10% biochar addition was of factor 2.5 in Mongu (from 4.5% to 11.2%) and 1.2 in both Kaoma (from 14.7% to 18.2%) and Mkushi (from 18.2% to 22.7%). Cation exchange capacity, pH, and exchangeable K significantly increased upon the addition of 10% (w:w) biochar in all three regions with a subsequent increase in base saturation and decrease of available Al3+. Our findings suggest that the addition of biochar in combination with CF might have a positive impact on crop growth and that this positive effect is mainly caused by increases in plant‐available water and decreased available Al.
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Biochar addition improves soil water holding capacity and plant available water in loamy and sandy loam soils.
“With regard to soil physical properties, biochar addition improved soil water holding capacity (WHC) and plant available water (PAW) in both loamy and sandy loam soils (Bruun et al., 2014;Dugan et al., 2010;Martinsen et al., 2014).”
From Biochar improves maize growth by alleviation of nutrient stress in a moderately acidic low-input Nepalese soil (2018) · cites this paper as Martinsen et al., 2014
A significant positive relationship between maize biomass production and K supply rates, combined with previous observations that K is the main nutrient added by biochar, indicated that K addition via biochar contributed to alleviation of nutrient stress by biochar.
“A significant positive relationship between maize biomass production and K supply rates (Supplementary Fig. 4d), combined with previous observations that K is the main nutrient added by the addition of biochar (Martinsen et al., 2014), indicated that the K addition via biochar contributed to the alleviation of nutrient stress by biochar.”
From Biochar improves maize growth by alleviation of nutrient stress in a moderately acidic low-input Nepalese soil (2018) · cites this paper as Martinsen et al., 2014
Martinsen et al. (2014) reported an increase of PAW from 18.2% to 22.3% upon biochar addition (10% vol.) in the same soil.
“Similar trend (an increase of PAW from 18.2% to 22.3%) was reported by Martinsen et al. (2014) upon biochar addition (10% vol.) in the same soil.”
From Biochar improves maize growth by alleviation of nutrient stress in a moderately acidic low-input Nepalese soil (2018) · cites this paper as Martinsen et al. (2014)
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Martinsen, V., Mulder, J., Shitumbanuma, V., Sparrevik, M., Børresen, T., & Cornelissen, G.
- Affiliations
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NO)
- University of Zambia (ZM)
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Martinsen, Vegard
- Venue
- Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2014-08-12
- Volume
- 177
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 681-695
- ISSN
- 1436-8730 (ISSN-L)
- 1522-2624
- OpenAlex
- W2043860361
- Cited by
- 134
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 7
- FWCI
- 12.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Direktoratet for Utviklingssamarbeid
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Agricultural Science and Fertilization
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Management and Crop Yield
- Keywords
- biochar, corn cob, conservation agriculture, maize yield, peanut yield, soil nutrient availability, plant available water, cation exchange capacity, soil pH, aluminum availability, fertilizer dose, sandy soil, Zambia, soil organic carbon, crop rotation, residue retention, reduced tillage, soil physical properties, soil chemical properties
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