Effects of Biochar on Some Soil Fertility Parameters in Malumfashi Local Government Area, Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

Soil fertility can be improved using sustainable soil management such as application of biochar which enhanced soil moisture and sequester soil organic carbon. The study assessed the effect of biochar on soil fertility and organic carbon stock. The study area was divided in to experimental and control plots, thereby biochar made from sugarcane stalk was incorporated in to experimental plots. The OC, TN, available P, pH, E.C, exchangeable bases and CEC from thirty soil samples and raw biochar were determined in laboratory. The results were subjected to descriptive statistics and student t-test at α value of 0.05. The results revealed that biochar contain high values of pH (9.38), EC (2.63), OC (0.54), TN (0.42) Avl. P (3.84), CEC (7.50), Ca (3.84), Na (0.21), K (0.34) and Mg (0.87) than soil. This entails that these nutrients easily release for crop utilization when biochar incorporated the soil. It was learned that the mean value of these soil fertility parameters and soil carbon stock are higher in the experimental plots. This implies that biochar is protagonist in improving soil fertility and retaining soil carbon. It was concluded that biochar application increased soil fertility and also have the capacity to sequester soil carbon