Investigating the Impact of Different Biochar Levels Derived from Mushroom Bed Residues on Some Chemical Properties of Drainage in Lettuce Cultivation

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 دانشگاه شهید چمران اهواز

2 استاد تمام

3 استادیار دانشکده مهندسی آب و محیط زیست

4 استاد تمام دانشکده مهندسی آب و محیط زیست

5 دانشیار دانشگاه شهید چمران اهواز

Abstract

More than 80% of agricultural lands in Iran suffer from low fertility due to organic matter deficiency. This issue has led to uncontrolled consumption of chemical fertilizers, including nitrogen-based fertilizers, resulting in increased nitrate leaching and water pollution. Therefore, the utilization of natural soil amendments such as biochar has gained significant importance in recent years. In line with the growing mushroom production industry and the resulting substrate residues, this study focuses on investigating the impact of fungal substrate-derived biochar on reducing the leaching of certain soil chemical elements and consequently enhancing plant-available nutrients in the soil. The results indicated that the application of biochar in the B4 treatment at a level of 1% had a significant correlation with the reduction of nitrate, calcium, sodium, and potassium concentrations in Drainage water. The highest effect was observed in maintaining these elements in the soil. The application of two grams of biochar per kilogram of soil led to a respective reduction of 43%, 16.8%, 28.7%, and 19.2% in nitrate, sodium, calcium, and potassium concentrations in the irrigation water output compared to the control treatment. Furthermore, the B4 treatment at a 1 percent level resulted in a significant increase in pH values and a decrease in EC values in the irrigation water. Specifically, the pH of the B4 treatment increased by 0.93% compared to the control, and the EC of the B4 treatment decreased by 18%. The increased absorption of elements and the subsequent reduction in their presence in irrigation water can be attributed to the enhanced soil retention capacity due to the presence of organic carbon in biochar, as well as the high cation and anion exchange capacity and the biological nitrogen cycle-related effects of biochar. Additionally, the concentration of metallic elements and oxides in the soil increased,

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  • Receive Date: 31 August 2023
  • Revise Date: 18 November 2023
  • Accept Date: 18 December 2023
  • Publish Date: 18 December 2023