Effect of Biochar and FYM and its Interaction on Soil Health Indicator under the Salt Affected Soil

Abstract

The exploration of using biochar in saline soils has garnered increasing interest in research. In the Kharif season of 2018, an experiment was conducted in the net house of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science at Anand Agricultural University, Anand. The aim was to study the impact of biochar and farmyard manure (FYM) on crop yield and the physical and chemical aspects of saline soil. The soil used in the experiment was loamy sand with good drainage and a pH of 8.0 at a depth of 0-15 cm. The experiment followed a completely randomized design factorial. The treatments involved four levels of biochar (B1: 0 t ha-1, B2: 2.5 t ha-1, B3: 5 t ha-1, B4: 7.5 t ha-1) and three levels of FYM (F1: 0 t ha-1, F2: 5 t ha-1, F3: 10 t ha-1). The results revealed that the presence of biochar significantly affected the availability of nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil post-harvest. Notably, there was a notable decrease in soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) with the application of biochar at 7.5 t ha-1 (B4). Additionally, at this level (7.5 t ha-1), biochar enhanced the soil’s physical properties by reducing bulk density and improving water retention, comparable to the effects observed at 5 t ha-1. Moreover, a substantial increase was observed in organic carbon, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and available NPK under the treatment F3 (FYM @ 10 t ha-1), which was on par with treatment F2 (FYM @ 5 t ha-1). Although there was a significant change in bacterial populations, no significant variation was observed in fungi and actinomycetes. In conclusion, the emerging body of knowledge supports the effectiveness of biochar addition in enhancing the physical, chemical, and biological properties of salt-affected soils.