Interactive effects of biochar and ammonium fertilizer on wheat yield, soil acidity and their residual effect on soybean under no-tillage conditions

Qamar Sarfaraz; Rajesh Sharma; Gerson Laerson Drescher; Mohsin Zafar; Muhammad Izhar Shafi; Geoffrey Christie Anderson; Leandro Souza da Silva; Zakaria M. Solaiman; Qamar Sarfaraz; Rajesh Sharma; Gerson Laerson Drescher; Mohsin Zafar; Muhammad Izhar Shafi; Geoffrey Christie Anderson; Leandro Souza da Silva; Zakaria M. Solaiman

doi:10.3934/agrfood.2025043

AIMS Agriculture and Food

2025, Volume 10, Issue 4: 819-838. doi: 10.3934/agrfood.2025043

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Research article

Interactive effects of biochar and ammonium fertilizer on wheat yield, soil acidity and their residual effect on soybean under no-tillage conditions

1.
Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Fayetteville, AR, USA
2.
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, and The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, WA 6009, Australia
3.
Department of Soils, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Roraima Avenue No. 1000–Building 42, Santa Maria, 97105-900, Brazil
4.
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Soils West, 75 York Road, Northam, WA 6401, Australia
5.
Department of Environmental Sciences, Mirpur University of Science and Technology Mirpur (MUST), Pakistan
6.
Department of Soil and Environmental Science, Faculty of Crop Production Sciences, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan
7.
Mowreq Specialized Agriculture Company, Jeddah 22425, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
8.
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Uthal, Balochistan, Pakistan

Received: 05 March 2025 Revised: 28 September 2025 Accepted: 21 October 2025 Published: 11 November 2025

Reductions in soil organic matter (SOM) affect soil quality and fertility in tropical agricultural soils. Due to its recalcitrant nature, biochar persists longer in soils. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to assess the effect of biochar, locally produced from animal manures (poultry litter, swine, and cattle manures) and crop residues (rice, soybean, and corn straws) on soil pH, aluminum (Al) concentration, and yields of wheat, as well as its residual effects on soybean under a no-tillage planting system. Undisturbed soil was collected at a 25 cm depth in polyvinyl tubes (PVC) from a long-term no-tillage site. The experiment included six biochar types and two rates of each biochar type, with and without N fertilizer, leading to 26 treatment combinations including 2 controls. Two control treatments were used, one without biochar and N (control –N-B) and the other without biochar but with N (control +N-B). The treatments were replicated three times and laid out in a complete randomized design (CRD). Biochar was applied at rates of 10 Mg ha^–1 (33.5 g column^–1) and 20 Mg ha^–1 (67 g column^–1) and ammonium sulfate at 0 and 110 kg ha^–1 (1.6 g ammonium sulfate column^–1). The study showed that applying N along with biochar increased wheat and soybean growth and growth attributes. Additionally, applying biochar influenced the soil pH and exchangeable Al effectively in the topsoil. However, its impact decreased with increasing depth under the no-tillage planting system. These findings suggest that biochar, especially when applied with nitrogen fertilizer could improve plant performance and ameliorate soil acidity in no-tillage planting systems due to its recalcitrant nature.
- biochar,
- nitrogen,
- wheat,
- soybean,
- soil pH,
- no-tillage,
- residual effect
Citation: Qamar Sarfaraz, Rajesh Sharma, Gerson Laerson Drescher, Mohsin Zafar, Muhammad Izhar Shafi, Geoffrey Christie Anderson, Leandro Souza da Silva, Zakaria M. Solaiman. Interactive effects of biochar and ammonium fertilizer on wheat yield, soil acidity and their residual effect on soybean under no-tillage conditions[J]. AIMS Agriculture and Food, 2025, 10(4): 819-838. doi: 10.3934/agrfood.2025043

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Abstract

Reductions in soil organic matter (SOM) affect soil quality and fertility in tropical agricultural soils. Due to its recalcitrant nature, biochar persists longer in soils. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to assess the effect of biochar, locally produced from animal manures (poultry litter, swine, and cattle manures) and crop residues (rice, soybean, and corn straws) on soil pH, aluminum (Al) concentration, and yields of wheat, as well as its residual effects on soybean under a no-tillage planting system. Undisturbed soil was collected at a 25 cm depth in polyvinyl tubes (PVC) from a long-term no-tillage site. The experiment included six biochar types and two rates of each biochar type, with and without N fertilizer, leading to 26 treatment combinations including 2 controls. Two control treatments were used, one without biochar and N (control –N-B) and the other without biochar but with N (control +N-B). The treatments were replicated three times and laid out in a complete randomized design (CRD). Biochar was applied at rates of 10 Mg ha^–1 (33.5 g column^–1) and 20 Mg ha^–1 (67 g column^–1) and ammonium sulfate at 0 and 110 kg ha^–1 (1.6 g ammonium sulfate column^–1). The study showed that applying N along with biochar increased wheat and soybean growth and growth attributes. Additionally, applying biochar influenced the soil pH and exchangeable Al effectively in the topsoil. However, its impact decreased with increasing depth under the no-tillage planting system. These findings suggest that biochar, especially when applied with nitrogen fertilizer could improve plant performance and ameliorate soil acidity in no-tillage planting systems due to its recalcitrant nature.

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