Comparative study of poultry litter and poultry litter biochar application in the soil for plant growth

Abstract

The direct application of poultry litter (PL) in the soil leads to some environmental problems. Poultry litter biochar (PLB) produced through the pyrolysis process under limited oxygen supply at 400 °C for 10 min, and nutrients were analyzed for both PL and PLB. Both PL and PLB were applied in the soil at 1, 2, and 3% (w/w) along with control. Ipomoea aquatica was grown in earthen pots for 60 days to evaluate the response of both PL and PLB. After pyrolysis of PL, the nutrients content (total N, K, S, Ca, Mg, and Zn), pH, electric conductivity, and organic carbon in PLB were found to be increased than those of PL except for P. Plant height significantly increased by 14.3, 23.3, 20.1%; and 17.8, 34.4, 32.4% after the application of 1, 2, and 3% PL and PLB, respectively, as compared to the control. Plant fresh weight significantly increased by 70.4, 124.6, and 124.7% and 53.3, 134.3, and 200.4% compared to the control after the application of PL and PLB at 1, 2, and 3%, respectively. Increased plant height and fresh weight can be ascribed mostly to the capacity of PL and PLB as a source of nutrients for plant uptake. The significantly higher yield was observed at 3% PLB application. Compared to the PL, plant height and fresh weight increased by 18.2 and 33.68%, respectively, at 3% PLB application. PLB rather than PL might be a promising organic amendment for maintaining sustainable agriculture.