Agronomy (Jan 2020)

Effects of Mixed Hardwood and Sugarcane Biochar as Bark-Based Substrate Substitutes on Container Plants Production and Nutrient Leaching

  • Ping Yu,
  • Lan Huang,
  • Qiansheng Li,
  • Isabel M. Lima,
  • Paul M. White,
  • Mengmeng Gu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10020156
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 2
p. 156

Abstract

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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 NO3−N concentration in the first week after transplantation (1 WAT). All BC-incorporated mixes grown with both tomato and basil had similar NO3−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.

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