Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals

Synchronous effects of biochar on heavy metals stress, microbial activity and nodulation process in the soil are rarely addressed. This work studied the effects, under greenhouse conditions, of selected heavy metals Cd<sup>2+</sup>, Pb<sup>2+</sup> and Ni<sup>2+</sup...

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Main Authors: Samir A. Haddad, Joanna Lemanowicz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5763
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author Samir A. Haddad
Joanna Lemanowicz
author_facet Samir A. Haddad
Joanna Lemanowicz
author_sort Samir A. Haddad
collection DOAJ
description Synchronous effects of biochar on heavy metals stress, microbial activity and nodulation process in the soil are rarely addressed. This work studied the effects, under greenhouse conditions, of selected heavy metals Cd<sup>2+</sup>, Pb<sup>2+</sup> and Ni<sup>2+</sup> on soybean plants grown in two different soils amended with biochar, and studied their effect on the microbial and enzymatic activity. As a result of the interference between heavy metals and biochar, biochar overcame heavy metal problems and maintained a microbial population of major groups (bacteria–fungi). There was an increase in the degree of resistance (<i>RS</i>) of the major microbial groups to heavy metals when biochar was added to the soil under study. Numbers of bacterial nodules significantly increased, particularly by using the higher rate of biochar compared to the control, either by adding biochar alone or by mixing it with the selected heavy metals. The arginase activity was increased by 25.5% and 37.1% in clay and sandy soil, respectively, compared to the control. For urease (UR), the activity was increased by 105% and 83.8% in clay and sandy soil, respectively, compared to the control. As a result, considerations of using biochar as a soil amendment should be first priority.
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spelling doaj.art-87299b63c44a4aa19636857e802c88252023-11-22T12:52:37ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-09-011418576310.3390/en14185763Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy MetalsSamir A. Haddad0Joanna Lemanowicz1Agricultural Microbiology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, EgyptDepartment of Biogeochemistry and Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Bernardyńska 6 St., 85-029 Bydgoszcz, PolandSynchronous effects of biochar on heavy metals stress, microbial activity and nodulation process in the soil are rarely addressed. This work studied the effects, under greenhouse conditions, of selected heavy metals Cd<sup>2+</sup>, Pb<sup>2+</sup> and Ni<sup>2+</sup> on soybean plants grown in two different soils amended with biochar, and studied their effect on the microbial and enzymatic activity. As a result of the interference between heavy metals and biochar, biochar overcame heavy metal problems and maintained a microbial population of major groups (bacteria–fungi). There was an increase in the degree of resistance (<i>RS</i>) of the major microbial groups to heavy metals when biochar was added to the soil under study. Numbers of bacterial nodules significantly increased, particularly by using the higher rate of biochar compared to the control, either by adding biochar alone or by mixing it with the selected heavy metals. The arginase activity was increased by 25.5% and 37.1% in clay and sandy soil, respectively, compared to the control. For urease (UR), the activity was increased by 105% and 83.8% in clay and sandy soil, respectively, compared to the control. As a result, considerations of using biochar as a soil amendment should be first priority.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5763corncob biocharheavy metalsenzymatic activitynodulessoil health
spellingShingle Samir A. Haddad
Joanna Lemanowicz
Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals
Energies
corncob biochar
heavy metals
enzymatic activity
nodules
soil health
title Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals
title_full Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals
title_fullStr Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals
title_full_unstemmed Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals
title_short Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals
title_sort benefits of corn cob biochar to the microbial and enzymatic activity of soybean plants grown in soils contaminated with heavy metals
topic corncob biochar
heavy metals
enzymatic activity
nodules
soil health
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5763
work_keys_str_mv AT samirahaddad benefitsofcorncobbiochartothemicrobialandenzymaticactivityofsoybeanplantsgrowninsoilscontaminatedwithheavymetals
AT joannalemanowicz benefitsofcorncobbiochartothemicrobialandenzymaticactivityofsoybeanplantsgrowninsoilscontaminatedwithheavymetals