Abstract
Despite the proven impact of biochar (BC) on crop yield, little is known about its effect on cereal grain quality. We explored the effect of acacia pruning-derived biochar and nitrogen (N) applications on the mineral profile of maize grains in a field study. Biochar was applied at the rates of 5, 10, 15, and 20 t ha−1 and N at 100, 150, and 200 kg ha−1 along with the control (BC or N not applied) in a split-plot arrangement using a randomized complete block design. At crop maturity, the grains were analyzed for K, P, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Cu content. The results showed that BC application at the rate of 10 t ha−1 along with N at 200 kg ha−1 resulted in the highest concentrations of K, P, Ca, and Mg in grains. The Fe content was the maximum at the N application rate of 200 kg ha−1 while Zn and Cu had the highest concentration at 150 kg N ha−1 with no BC. It was concluded that the integrated use of BC and N could be a valuable strategy to improve the nutritional quality of maize grains. The enrichment of BC with micronutrients is recommended to achieve the desired concentration of micronutrients in maize grains to help cure malnutrition. However, further investigation is warranted to validate the impact of BC made of different feedstocks on soils of contrasting mineralogy as organo-mineral interactions might mask the true potential of BC.
Highlights
To sustain a healthy life, our body needs many essential minerals, that are sometimes divided into macro-minerals and micro-minerals
The BC was produced from the prunings of acacia (Acacia nilotica) through slow pyrolysis at a temperature of 450 ◦ C in a stainless-steel kiln
We found that BC and N levels significantly (p ≤ 0.05) affected the K content of maize grain (Table 5)
Summary
Despite the proven impact of biochar (BC) on crop yield, little is known about its effect on cereal grain quality. Applications on the mineral profile of maize grains in a field study. The results showed that BC application at the rate of 10 t ha−1 along with N at 200 kg ha−1 resulted in the highest concentrations of K, P, Ca, and Mg in grains. The Fe content was the maximum at the N application rate of 200 kg ha−1 while Zn and Cu had the highest concentration at 150 kg N ha−1 with no BC. The enrichment of BC with micronutrients is recommended to achieve the desired concentration of micronutrients in maize grains to help cure malnutrition. Fe, and copper (Cu) are the micro-minerals essential for adequate body functioning.
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