AUTHOR=Wang Lei , Leghari Shah Jahan , Wu Jiajun , Wang Na , Pang Min , Jin Liang 

TITLE=Interactive effects of biochar and chemical fertilizer on water and nitrogen dynamics, soil properties and maize yield under different irrigation methods

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1230023

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2023.1230023

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=Long-term application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer adversely degrades soil and decreases crop yield. Biochar amendment with N fertilizer not only can increase yield but also improve the soil. A three-year field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of biochar doses with N fertilizer on maize yield and soil N and water dynamics under border and drip irrigation methods. The biochar doses and irrigation methods significantly (p<0.05) increased maize growth and yield characteristics, irrigation water use efficiency and fertilizer N use efficiencies and enhanced the soil properties. In the BI and DI irrigation method, the NB1, NB2, and NB3 treatments increased yield by 4.96-6.10%%, 8.36-9.85%, and 9.65-11.41%, compared to NB0. In terms of  IWUE, and FNUE, the non-biochar treatment had lower IWUE and FNUE compared to biochar combined with N fertilizer treatments under both BI and DI irrigation methods. In the BI method, the IWUE in NB2 and NB3 ranged from 3.36–3.43 kg kg-1 and in DI, it was maximum, ranging from 5.70–5.94 kg kg-1. Similarly, these medium and high doses of biochar increased FNUE of maize.  The FNUEs in NB2 and NB3 under BI ranged from 38.72–38.95 kg kg-1 and 38.89–39.58 kg kg-1. While FNUEs of these same treatments under DI ranged from 48.26–49.58 kg kg-1 and 48.92–50.28 kg kg-1. The effect of biochar was more obvious in DI as compared to the BI irrigation method because soil water content (SWC) and soil N concentrations (SNCs) were higher at rhizosphere soil layers under DI. Biochar improved SWC and SNC at 0–20cm and 20–40cm soil layers and decreased below 60cm soil layers. In contrast, despite biochar-controlled SWC and SNCs, still, values of these parameters were higher in deeper soil layers. In the BI irrigation method, the SNCs were higher at 60–80cm and 80cm–100cm compared to the top and middle soil layers. . Results of our study revealed that combined application of N fertilizer with a medium dose of biochar under the DI method would be the best management practice, which will significantly increase crop yield and improve SWC, enrich SNC, and OM, improve soil structure and maintain pH.