Productivity gains in vegetables from rice husk biochar application in nutrient-poor soils in Timor-Leste.

ABSTRACT: Response to fertilisation with biochar is greatest in field crops on acidic tropical soils, but limited information is available for vegetable crops. As a case-study using vegetable production in Timor-Leste, we assessed if biochar alleviates nutritional constraints to vegetables in low-nutrient soils. Field trials on vegetable crops were conducted with fertiliser combinations of rice husk biochar, phosphate and local fertiliser at three sites. A pot soil incubation trial of biochar was undertaken with soil from the acid site, where rice husk biochar had a larger effect on productivity than the other fertilisers in chili pepper, tomato and soybean with an average yield increase with biochar of 230% over control. Combining phosphate with biochar augmented the yield over biochar alone in chi

SUBMITTER: Williams R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10322997 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature