Effect of using fossil coal amendment (black carbon) for beans production on ferralsol of Madagascar

摘要

Soil amendment with biochar is evaluated as a new technique to improve soil fertility and agriculture production. When it is added to soil the biochar has generally been shown to be beneficial for growing crops; additionally biochar contains stable carbon and after adding biochar to soil, this carbon remains sequestered for much longer periods than it would in the original biomass that biochar was made from. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence for using fossil coal like biochar on climbing bean [Phaseolus vulgaris L. 'Menangoe') growth. The experiment was carried out on a ferralsol type field located at Mahitsy, Antananarivo, Madagascar from November 2016 to February 2017. Coal amendment was applied at different rates (25, 50, 75, 100, 125 g bunch1), accompanied with biological fertilizers: bat guano (30 g bunch'1) or livestock manure (150 g bunch1). Using coal like amendment considerably enhances seed yield. The results obtained differ to the quantity of coal and the optimal application rate situates around 50 g bunch1. Adding coal to soil increased crop productivity by 50% above the control conditions. Also, biomasses augment with crop yield. Beyond 100 g bunch1, coal becomes inefficient for beans.