Abstract
Despite the recent interest in biochar and digestate as soil amendments for improving soil quality and increasing crop production, there is inadequate knowledge of the effect of the combination of biochar and digestate, particularly under saline irrigation conditions. A pot experiment with Chinese melon was conducted in a greenhouse, biochar (5%) and digestate (500 mL/pot) were used with and without the recommended mineral NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) fertilizer dose (120-150-150 Kg ha−1). The plants were irrigated with tap water (SL0) and 2 dS/m (SL1) NaCl solution. The growth, photosynthesis rate, water use efficiency (WUE) and yield of Chinese melon were affected positively when biochar was combined with digestate amendment, particularly under saline irrigation water with and without mineral NPK fertilizer. The maximum yield under normal water was obtained by digestate (SL0: 218.87 t ha−1) and biochar amendment combined with digestate (SL1: 118.8 t ha−1) under saline water. The maximum WUE values were noticed with the biochar and digestate combination under all water treatments (SL0: 32.2 t ha−1 mm−1 and SL1: 19.6 t ha−1 mm−1). It was concluded that digestate alone was more effective than the use of biochar, particularly with normal water. The combination of biochar with digestate had a significant effect on the Chinese melon growth, photosynthesis rate, water use efficiency and yield under saline irrigation, and it can be used as an alternative fertilizer for mineral NPK fertilizer.
Highlights
Organic farming has become an essential priority area worldwide in view of the growing demand for healthy and safe food, long-term sustainability and concerns regarding the environmental pollution related to the indistinctive utilization of chemical fertilizers, [1]
Biochar with digestate can act as alternative fertilizer for mineral NPK fertilizer, our results demonstrated that the combination of biochar with digestate increased the photosynthesis regarding this, our results demonstrated that the combination of biochar with digestate increased the photosynthesis rate under normal irrigation water by about 13%, 32% and 31% when compared to control that received NPK fertilizer, while the rate was 50%, 42% and 30% for the vegetative growth, flowering stage and fruit stage, respectively, under saline irrigation water
The maximum yield value under normal water was acquired by digestate (SL0: 218.87 t ha−1 ) and biochar amendment combined with digestate (SL0: 210.69 t ha−1 and SL1: 118.8 t ha−1 )
Summary
Organic farming has become an essential priority area worldwide in view of the growing demand for healthy and safe food, long-term sustainability and concerns regarding the environmental pollution related to the indistinctive utilization of chemical fertilizers, [1]. Organic materials are very important soil amendments that sustain the productivity of soils in tropical and subtropical areas where there is low soil organic carbon (SOC) content and lower input of organic materials [2]. Biogas production from organic matter has expanded recently, and the application of digestates—byproducts of anaerobic digestion—to soil as bio-fertilizers has become more common [4]. In a number of incubation and pot experiments the digested slurry enhanced the plant-available N contents in the soil, the plants’. In a number of incubation and pot experiments the digested slurry enhanced the plant-available N contents in the soil, the plants’ N uptake, as well as crop yields compared with undigested slurry [5]. Digestate is regarded as a liquid from the anaerobic breaking down of animal and plant waste
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