Effect of biochar and nutrient amendment on vegetative growth of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. Malz)

摘要

We tried to determine whether a commercially available, amended biochar could potentially increase the growth and yield of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. Malz) on loamy soil located in western Slovakia in 2014. Treatments (n=15) with three replications consisted of a control, raw biochar (RB) (0, 10, 20 t ha -1 ) and nitrogen-enriched biochar+compost (EB) (0, 10, 20 t ha -1 ) application, combined with 3 levels of mineral fertilization (0, 40, 80 kg N ha -1 ). The plots (4 m x 6 m) were organized in randomized block design. We examined above and below-ground biomass, crop height, number of plants per m 2 , grain yield and plant canopy development determined from digital image-derived vegetation indices. The positive effect of biochar application on the plant canopy development was observed. In case of the vegetation index, the difference between the treatments and control rose in the following order at all fertilization levels (0, 40, 80 kg ha -1 ): control < RB (10 t ha -1 ) < RB (20 t ha -1 ) < EB (10 t ha -1 ) < EB (20 t ha -1 ). Ten and twenty t ha -1 of EB without fertilizer increased root biomass by 126 and 52%, and above-ground biomass by 62 and 36%, respectively. We conclude that a single EB application of 10 t ha -1 or 20 t ha -1 (even if applied without N fertilizer) can increase plant biomass on loamy Typic Hapludalfs at least in the first cropping season.