Improving Soil Nitrogen Availability and Rice Growth Performance on a Tropical Acid Soil via Mixture of Rice Husk and Rice Straw Biochars

• Main Authors: Gunavathy Selvarajh, Huck Ywih Ch’ng, Norhafizah Md Zain, Palsan Sannasi, Siti Nuurul Huda Mohammad Azmin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
• Series: Applied Sciences
• Subjects: ammonia volatilization; biochar; nutrient uptake; urea
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/1/108

Nitrogen deficiency frequently occurs at agricultural soil because of NH₃ volatilization to the environment which results in low urea-N use efficiency by rice plants. A pot experiment was conducted to assess the synergistic effects of a mixture of rice straw and rice husk biochars (RSRH) on (1) total N, soil exchangeable NH₄⁺, and available NO₃⁻, and (2) uptake of N, P, and K in rice plant. RSRH biochar at 5 and 10 t ha⁻¹ had significantly minimized ammonia volatilization by 33.5% and 40.7%. Further, RSRH biochars also had significantly increased available NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, available P, and available K in the soil over T1. In line to increase in soil nutrient availability, the rice plant height, tiller number, greenness, and panicle number were increased. This resulted in an increase of nutrient uptake, use efficiency, and dry matter production of the rice plant. RSRH biochar altered the soil environment by minimizing NH₃ loss and increasing soil nutrients for efficient plant uptake.