Effect of cow manure biochar on maize productivity under sandy soil condition

In this study, we performed a greenhouse experiment to investigate the effect of cow manure biochar on maize yield, nutrient uptake and physico-chemical properties of a dryland sandy soil. Biochar was derived from dry cow manure pyrolysed at 500 degrees C. Cow manure biochar was mixed with a sandy soil at the rate equivalent to 0, 10, 15 and 20 t biochar per hectare. Maize was used as a test crop. Results of the study indicated that cow manure biochar contains some important plant nutrients which significantly affected the maize crop growth. Maize yield and nutrient uptake were significantly improved with increasing the biochar mixing rate. Application of biochar at 15 and 20 t/ha mixing rates significantly increased maize grain yield by 150 and 98% as compared with the control, respectively. Maize net water use efficiency (WUE) increased by 6, 139 and 91% as compared with the control, with the 10, 15 and 20 t/ha mixing rate, respectively. Nutrient uptake by maize grain was significantly increased with higher biochar applications. Application of cow manure biochar improved the field-saturated hydraulic conductivity of the sandy soil, as a result net WUE also increased. Results of the soil analysis after the harvesting indicated significant increase in the pH, total C, total N, Oslen-P, exchangeable cations and cation exchange capacity. The results of this study indicated that application of cow manure biochar to sandy soil is not only beneficial for crop growth but it also significantly improved the physico-chemical properties of the coarse soil.