Biochar Improves Wax Gourd (<i>Benincasa hispida</i> (Thunb.) Cogn.) Yield and Quality by Regulating the Chemical Properties of Acidic Soil and Promoting Nutrient Uptake
Zhen Li,
Yongzhou Hao,
Hongzhao Li,
Tianhong Fu,
Jing Li,
Yutao Peng,
Jingjing Chang,
Lei Chen,
Dasen Xie,
Xiao Chen,
Wenjie Gu,
Zhao Song,
Baige Zhang
Affiliations
Zhen Li
Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
Yongzhou Hao
Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
Hongzhao Li
Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
Tianhong Fu
Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
Jing Li
Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
Yutao Peng
School of Agriculture, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
Jingjing Chang
Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
Lei Chen
Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
Dasen Xie
Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
Xiao Chen
Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
Wenjie Gu
Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nutrient Cycling and Farmland Conservation, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
Zhao Song
Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
Baige Zhang
Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
Biochar is widely used to maintain crop yields and the sustainability of agroecosystems due to its characteristics. However, its effect on vegetable yield and quality in southern acidic soils has not been fully elucidated. The effects of two kinds of biochar application rates (3 t ha−1 and 12 t ha−1) on the nutrient availability, nutrient absorption, yield, and fruit quality of sandy acid oxide soil in South China were studied in a 2-year field experiment using two varieties of wax gourd (Tiezhu No. 2 and Dadao). The results showed that optimized fertilization (OPT, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were reduced by 20.0%, 20.6%, and 21.1%, respectively) did not reduce the yield of the different varieties of wax gourd compared to FP (farmer practice). On the basis of the OPT treatment, the application of biochar increased the yield of Tiezhu No. 2 and Dadao wax gourd by 16.0–27.3% and 7.7–13.3%, respectively. The increase in yield was attributed to the improvement in soil organic carbon content which increased by 4.5–19.7%, nutrient effectiveness (NO3−-N and Olsen-P content enhanced by 23.7–27.0% and 15.3–23.4% in Tiezhu No. 2), and nutrient uptake (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg accumulation increased significantly by 21.1%, 46.1%, 36.8%, 25.7%, and 31.9%, respectively) by the plant after the biochar application. Different types of biochar also have some differences in these three aspects. Specifically, under the same dosage, rice biochar has a more significant effect on increasing the yield of winter melon, and has a better effect on the improvement of soil physical and chemical properties, while sawdust biochar has a more significant effect on nutrient absorption. In addition, the commercial quality, namely hardness and glossiness, and the nutritional quality, namely soluble sugar, soluble protein, VC content, and sugar–acid ratio of wax gourd fruits, were significantly improved after the biochar application. In summary, biochar application on acidic soils in South China could achieve a win–win situation in terms of increasing soil nutrient effectiveness to improve vegetable yield and quality while reducing chemical fertilizer.
