Evaluation of the effect of biochar-based organic fertilizer on the growth performance of fennel and cumin plants for three years

Figures & data

Figure 1. Total monthly rainfall/precipitation (mm), mean monthly maximum and minimum temperatures (^oC) during study period (2017 to 2019). The data was obtained from https://www.worldweatheronline.com/.

Table 1. Properties of biochar and manure used as soil amendments.

Properties	Wood biochar	FYM biochar	Small ruminant manure
pH	8.15	9.15	8.5
EC (dS m^−1)	14.6	8.55	13.2
Ash (g kg^−1)	45.0	293	–
Nitrogen (g kg^−1)	4.3	2.9	12.8
Phosphorus (g kg^−1)	0.3	5.6	8.3

Table 2. Application rates of biochar co-amended with NPK fertilizer and poultry manure on field plots cultivated with Cuminum cyminum and Foeniculum officinales. Treatments were applied to the same plot once a year for three years in the field experiment. Amendment rates are on dry weight basis.

Treatment	Application rate (t ha^−1) of manure	Application rate (t ha^−1) of biochar
Control	0	0
S/G (manure from sheep and goat)	1.66 t ha^−1 (21.3 kg ha^−1 N, 13.8 kg ha^−1 P2O5)	0
	3.32 t ha^−1 (42.4 kg ha^−1 N, 27.6 kg ha^−1 P2O5)	0
	6.64 t ha^−1 (85.0 kg ha^−1 N, 55.1 kg ha^−1 P2O5)	0
S/G + wood-derived biochar	0.83 t ha^−1 (11.1 kg ha^−1 N, 6.9 kg ha^−1 P2O5)	0.83 t ha^−1 (3.57 kg ha^−1 N, 0.25 t ha^−1 P2O5)
	1.66 t ha^−1 (21.3 kg ha^−1 N, 13.8 kg ha^−1 P2O5)	1.66 t ha^−1 (7.14 kg ha^−1 N, 0.49 kg ha^−1 P2O5)
	3.32 t ha^−1 (42.4 kg ha^−1 N, 27.6 kg ha^−1 P2O5)	3.32 t ha^−1 (14.3 kg ha^−1 N, 0.99 kg ha^−1 P2O5)
S/G + FYMB	0.83 t ha^−1 (11.1 kg ha^−1 N, 6.9 kg ha^−1 P2O5)	0.83 t ha^−1 (2.41 kg ha^−1 N, 4.65 t ha^−1 P2O5)
	1.66 t ha^−1 (21.3 kg ha^−1 N, 13.8 kg ha^−1 P2O5)	1.66 t ha^−1 (4.81 kg ha^−1 N, 9.29 kg ha^−1 P2O5)
	3.32 t ha^−1 (42.4 kg ha^−1 N, 27.6 kg ha^−1 P2O5)	3.32 t ha^−1 (9.63 kg ha^−1 N, 18.6 kg ha^−1 P2O5)

Figure 2. Mean (± SD) of yield and stover biomass of F. vulgare and C. cyminum over three years. Bars with different letters indicate within year significant difference at P ≤ 0.05. Control; no fertilizer amendment, S/G; small ruminant manure, WB; wood-derived biochar, MB; farmyard manure-derived biochar, 1.6, 3.3 and 6.6 are amendment rates of fertilizers at 1.66, 3.34 and 6.64 t ha⁻¹ rates respectively.

Table 3. Total N (mg g⁻¹), total P (mg g⁻¹), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) of stover and seeds of F. vulgare, total P (mg g⁻¹) and PUE of stover and seeds of C. cyminum of third year crops.

Treatment	Total plant N		Total plant P				NUE		PUE
	F. vulgare		F. vulgare		C. cyminum		F. vulgare		F. vulgare		C. cyminum
	Seeds	Stover	Seeds	Stover	Seeds	Stover	Seeds	Stover	Seeds	Stover	Seeds	Stover
Control	42.6 ± 3.51^ab	37.3 ± 2.51^c	4.27 ± 0.17^ab	3.66 ± 0.31^b	3.82 ± 2.07^ab	2.71 ± 1.36	1.21 ± 0.2^c	20.1 ± 6.2^b	12.1 ± 2.7^b	203 ± 51^b	15.1 ± 2.0^c	52.2 ± 21^b
S/G 1.6	44.6 ± 3.05^ab	42 ± 5.29^abc	3.60 ± 0.49^bcd	3.70 ± 0.64^ab	3.61 ± 2.41^ab	2.76 ± 0.91	1.63 ± 0.19^b	36.9 ± 3.5^a	20.3 ± 1.8^ab	424 ± 88^a	62.6 ± 40^ab	206 ± 158^a
S/G 3.3	41.3 ± 7.57^ab	40.6 ± 2.08^abc	3.72 ± 0.77^bcd	4.25 ± 0.64^ab	3.00 ± 1.30^ab	3.45 ± 1.15	1.77 ± 0.73^abc	37.1 ± 6.4^a	20.7 ± 11^ab	365 ± 109^a	42.0 ± 8.2^b	108 ± 69.2^ab
S/G 6.6	50 ± 5^a	54.3 ± 18.8^ab	5.72 ± 1.95^a	4.73 ± 0.86^a	2.61 ± 1.11^ab	3.99 ± 1.73	1.31 ± 0.58^bc	31.2 ± 20^ab	13.0 ± 7.8^b	330 ± 185^ab	41.0 ± 5.4^b	94 ± 70^ab
WB+S/G 1.6	50.6 ± 5.03^ab	47 ± 12.1^abc	3.20 ± 0.25^d	3.48 ± 0.09^b	3.37 ± 0.37^a	3.44 ± 1.00	1.48 ± 0.27^bc	27.2 ± 13^ab	23.8 ± 6.5^ab	365 ± 175^ab	54.6 ± 63^abc	148 ± 149^ab
WB+S/G 3.3	33.6 ± 3.51^b	40 ± 3.46^bc	3.19 ± 0.36^d	3.53 ± 0.31^b	2.83 ± 1.34^ab	3.94 ± 0.93	2.39 ± 0.47^a	33.7 ± 9.2^ab	25.1 ± 3.1^a	396 ± 160^ab	99.8 ± 70^ab	168 ± 92^ab
WB+S/G 6.6	50.3 ± 6.02^ab	40.6 ± 3.2^abc	4.03 ± 0.04^c	3.50 ± 0.40^b	2.71 ± 0.73^ab	3.51 ± 1.87	2.03 ± 1.58^abc	51.4 ± 62^ab	24.1 ± 16^ab	618 ± 766^ab	65.5 ± 10^a	168 ± 57^a
MB+S/G 1.6	47.6 ± 8.73^a	44 ± 10.5^abc	4.58 ± 2.23^abcd	3.36 ± 0.26^b	1.80 ± 0.67^b	3.46 ± 1.99	1.43 ± 0.34^bc	23.7 ± 3.6^b	16.7 ± 6.6^b	317 ± 118^ab	82.7 ± 53^ab	123 ± 111^ab
MB+S/G 3.3	41.6 ± 15.5^ab	39.3 ± 6.02^abc	3.60 ± 0.86^abcd	3.29 ± 0.44^b	2.72 ± 1.41^ab	2.34 ± 1.45	1.34 ± 0.60^bc	28.9 ± 14^ab	14.6 ± 5.1^b	324 ± 79^a	63.7 ± 45^ab	192 ± 38^a
MB+S/G 6.6	46 ± 4.35^a	45 ± 2^a	3.76 ± 1.36^abcd	3.44 ± 0.53^b	2.30 ± 1.10^ab	2.33 ± 0.92	0.16 ± 0.07^c	26.9 ± 2.4^b	15.7 ± 6.9^ab	363 ± 103^a	58.9 ± 32^ab	155 ± 122^a

Within column, values with different uppercase letters are significantly different at P ≤ 0.05.

Figure 3. Mean (±SD) of total inorganic N and soluble inorganic P of soil samples. Bars with different letters indicate significant differences between treatments for a given crop (F. vulgare or C. cyminum) at P ≤ 0.05. Bars with * indicate difference between crops (F. vulgare versus C. cyminum) at P ≤ 0.05. Control; no fertilizer amendment, S/G; small ruminant manure, WB; wood-derived biochar, MB; farmyard manure-derived biochar, 1.6, 3.3 and 6.6 are amendment rates of fertilizers at 1.66, 3.34 and 6.64 t ha⁻¹ rates respectively.

Figure 4. Mean (±SD) of total inorganic N and soluble inorganic P of soil samples under F. vulgare and C. cyminum cultivation. Bars with different letters indicate significant differences between soils cultivated with F. vulgare and C. cyminum.