Effects of Mixed Hardwood and Sugarcane Biochar as Bark-Based Substrate Substitutes on Container Plants Production and Nutrient Leaching
Biochar (BC) has the potential to replace bark-based commercial substrates in the production of container plants. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of mixed hardwood biochar (HB) and sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBB) to replace the bark-based commercial substrate. A bark-...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/2/156 |
| _version_ | 1831557344908017664 |
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| author | Ping Yu Lan Huang Qiansheng Li Isabel M. Lima Paul M. White Mengmeng Gu |
| author_facet | Ping Yu Lan Huang Qiansheng Li Isabel M. Lima Paul M. White Mengmeng Gu |
| author_sort | Ping Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Biochar (BC) has the potential to replace bark-based commercial substrates in the production of container plants. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of mixed hardwood biochar (HB) and sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBB) to replace the bark-based commercial substrate. A bark-based commercial substrate was incorporated with either HB at 50% (vol.) or SBB at 50% and 70% (vol.), with a bark-based commercial substrate being used as the control. The total porosity (TP) and container capacity (CC) of all SBB-incorporated mixes were slightly higher than the recommended value, while, the others were within the recommended range. Both tomato and basil plants grown in the BC-incorporated mixes had a similar or higher growth index (GI), leaf greenness (indicated by soil-plant analyses development), and yield than the control. The leachate of all mixes had the highest NO<sub>3</sub>−N concentration in the first week after transplantation (1 WAT). All BC-incorporated mixes grown with both tomato and basil had similar NO<sub>3</sub>−N concentration to the control (except 50% SBB at 1 and 5 WAT, and 50% HB at 5 WAT with tomato plants; 50% SBB at 5 WAT with basil plants). In conclusion, HB could replace bark-based substrates at 50% and SBB at 70% for both tomato and basil plant growth, without negative effects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T04:50:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5e884ede2eaa4f8290d4ea14ccc2a428 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T04:50:51Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-5e884ede2eaa4f8290d4ea14ccc2a4282022-12-21T22:02:54ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952020-01-0110215610.3390/agronomy10020156agronomy10020156Effects of Mixed Hardwood and Sugarcane Biochar as Bark-Based Substrate Substitutes on Container Plants Production and Nutrient LeachingPing Yu0Lan Huang1Qiansheng Li2Isabel M. Lima3Paul M. White4Mengmeng Gu5Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2133 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USAInstitute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu 610000, ChinaDepartment of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 2134 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USAUSDA, Agriculture Research Service, New Orleans, LA 70124, USAUSDA, Agriculture Research Service, Houma, LA 70360, USAInstitute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu 610000, ChinaBiochar (BC) has the potential to replace bark-based commercial substrates in the production of container plants. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential of mixed hardwood biochar (HB) and sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBB) to replace the bark-based commercial substrate. A bark-based commercial substrate was incorporated with either HB at 50% (vol.) or SBB at 50% and 70% (vol.), with a bark-based commercial substrate being used as the control. The total porosity (TP) and container capacity (CC) of all SBB-incorporated mixes were slightly higher than the recommended value, while, the others were within the recommended range. Both tomato and basil plants grown in the BC-incorporated mixes had a similar or higher growth index (GI), leaf greenness (indicated by soil-plant analyses development), and yield than the control. The leachate of all mixes had the highest NO<sub>3</sub>−N concentration in the first week after transplantation (1 WAT). All BC-incorporated mixes grown with both tomato and basil had similar NO<sub>3</sub>−N concentration to the control (except 50% SBB at 1 and 5 WAT, and 50% HB at 5 WAT with tomato plants; 50% SBB at 5 WAT with basil plants). In conclusion, HB could replace bark-based substrates at 50% and SBB at 70% for both tomato and basil plant growth, without negative effects.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/2/156biocharno<sub>3</sub>–nplantsubstratecontainerproduction |
| spellingShingle | Ping Yu Lan Huang Qiansheng Li Isabel M. Lima Paul M. White Mengmeng Gu Effects of Mixed Hardwood and Sugarcane Biochar as Bark-Based Substrate Substitutes on Container Plants Production and Nutrient Leaching Agronomy biochar no<sub>3</sub>–n plant substrate container production |
| title | Effects of Mixed Hardwood and Sugarcane Biochar as Bark-Based Substrate Substitutes on Container Plants Production and Nutrient Leaching |
| title_full | Effects of Mixed Hardwood and Sugarcane Biochar as Bark-Based Substrate Substitutes on Container Plants Production and Nutrient Leaching |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Mixed Hardwood and Sugarcane Biochar as Bark-Based Substrate Substitutes on Container Plants Production and Nutrient Leaching |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Mixed Hardwood and Sugarcane Biochar as Bark-Based Substrate Substitutes on Container Plants Production and Nutrient Leaching |
| title_short | Effects of Mixed Hardwood and Sugarcane Biochar as Bark-Based Substrate Substitutes on Container Plants Production and Nutrient Leaching |
| title_sort | effects of mixed hardwood and sugarcane biochar as bark based substrate substitutes on container plants production and nutrient leaching |
| topic | biochar no<sub>3</sub>–n plant substrate container production |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/2/156 |
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