Abstract
This study reports the mitigating strategy against salinity by exploring the potential effects of biochar (5%), Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (20 g/pot, AMF), and biochar + AMF on maize (Zea mays L.) plants grown under saline stress in a greenhouse. The maize was grown on alkaline soil and subjected to four different saline levels; 0, 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl. After 90 d for 100 mM NaCl treatment, the plant’s height and fresh weight were reduced by 17.84% and 39.28%, respectively, compared to the control. When the saline-treated soil (100 mM NaCl) was amended with AMF, biochar, and biochar + AMF, the growth parameters were increased by 22.04%, 26.97%, 30.92% (height) and 24.79%, 62.36%, and 107.7% (fresh weight), respectively. Compared to the control and single AMF/biochar treatments, the combined application of biochar and AMF showed the most significant effect in improving maize growth under saline stress. The superior mitigating effect of biochar + AMF was attributed to its effective ability in (i) improving soil nutrient content, (ii) enhancing plant nutrient uptake, (iii) increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and (iv improving the contents of palmitoleic acid (C16:1), oleic acid (C18:1), linoleic acid (C18:2), and linolenic acid (C18:3). Thus, our study shows that amending alkaline and saline soils with a combination of biochar-AMF can effectively mitigate abiotic stress and improve plant growth. Therefore, it can serve as a reference for managing salinity stress in agricultural soils.
Highlights
Biochar is an alkaline byproduct of the fast or slow pyrolysis of different biomass in a limited oxygen environment
The authors observed that the adsorption of phosphorous to Al/Fe-modified biochar decreased its bioavailability and partially explained the observed negative effects of pristine biochar applied to alkaline soils
Our study shows that the application of biochar without/without Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Glomus mosseae) had a positive effect on the available nutrients (N, K, and P) in alkaline soil (Figure 1)
Summary
Biochar is an alkaline byproduct of the fast or slow pyrolysis of different biomass in a limited oxygen environment. The authors observed that the adsorption of phosphorous to Al/Fe-modified biochar decreased its bioavailability and partially explained the observed negative effects of pristine biochar applied to alkaline soils. Understanding the role of pristine (unmodified) biochar in alkaline soils has been extended to studying their interactions with traditional NPK fertilizers. Mete et al [6] showed that when biochar was applied together with NPK fertilizer, it significantly improved seed yield and total biomass in three genotypes of soybean in alkaline soils. These different studies reveal that under the right conditions, biochar can induce beneficial effects on crops grown on alkaline soils
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
