Co-application of biochar and phosphorus increases soil microbial biomass, mycorrhizal colonization, growth, and nutrition of subterranean clover

Zakaria M. Solaiman; Paul Blackwell; Muhammad Izhar Shafi; Nariman D. Salman; Paul Storer; Emre Babur; Zakaria M. Solaiman; Paul Blackwell; Muhammad Izhar Shafi; Nariman D. Salman; Paul Storer; Emre Babur

doi:10.3934/microbiol.2025004

AIMS Microbiology

2025, Volume 11, Issue 1: 59-73. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2025004

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Research article

Co-application of biochar and phosphorus increases soil microbial biomass, mycorrhizal colonization, growth, and nutrition of subterranean clover

1.
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, and The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
2.
Retired from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, PO Box 110, Geraldton, WA 6530, Australia
3.
Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, 25000, Pakistan
4.
Department of Soil Sciences and Water Resources, College of Agriculture, Baghdad University, Iraq
5.
Troforte Innovations Pty Ltd, Wangara, WA 6065, Australia
6.
Soil and Ecology Department, Faculty of Forestry, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras 46050, Turkey

Received: 08 June 2024 Revised: 15 December 2024 Accepted: 06 January 2025 Published: 10 January 2025

Phosphorus (P) plays important roles in the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization and rhizobium nodulation processes. Additionally, biochar's positive roles in mycorrhizal colonization and nodulation are articulated. However, the effect of the co-application of biochar and P on AM colonization and rhizobium nodulation was poorly studied. This study investigated the effect of the co-application of wheat straw biochar and P using soil columns on mycorrhizal colonization, nodulation, and the growth of subterranean clover. The soil was amended with wheat straw biochar at 0, 5, and 10 t ha⁻¹ with different levels of P fertilizer at 0, 5, and 10 kg P ha⁻¹. These studies showed that adding biochar at 5 t ha⁻¹ along with mineral P fertilizer increased plant growth, mycorrhizal root colonization and nodulation, and P concentration in plants. In most cases, the increasing trend of the biomass yield was higher when biochar and the P fertilizer were applied together at a higher level (P10). These findings suggested that an increased biochar application rate can increase the subterranean clover growth in soil with either no (P0) or a lower P (P5) fertilizer application. Mycorrhizal colonization could help to improve the P supply and subsequently stimulate the root nodulation of leguminous plants.
- Biochar,
- phosphorus,
- soil properties,
- subterranean clover,
- nodulation,
- mycorrhizal fungi
Citation: Zakaria M. Solaiman, Paul Blackwell, Muhammad Izhar Shafi, Nariman D. Salman, Paul Storer, Emre Babur. Co-application of biochar and phosphorus increases soil microbial biomass, mycorrhizal colonization, growth, and nutrition of subterranean clover[J]. AIMS Microbiology, 2025, 11(1): 59-73. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2025004

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Abstract

Phosphorus (P) plays important roles in the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization and rhizobium nodulation processes. Additionally, biochar's positive roles in mycorrhizal colonization and nodulation are articulated. However, the effect of the co-application of biochar and P on AM colonization and rhizobium nodulation was poorly studied. This study investigated the effect of the co-application of wheat straw biochar and P using soil columns on mycorrhizal colonization, nodulation, and the growth of subterranean clover. The soil was amended with wheat straw biochar at 0, 5, and 10 t ha⁻¹ with different levels of P fertilizer at 0, 5, and 10 kg P ha⁻¹. These studies showed that adding biochar at 5 t ha⁻¹ along with mineral P fertilizer increased plant growth, mycorrhizal root colonization and nodulation, and P concentration in plants. In most cases, the increasing trend of the biomass yield was higher when biochar and the P fertilizer were applied together at a higher level (P10). These findings suggested that an increased biochar application rate can increase the subterranean clover growth in soil with either no (P0) or a lower P (P5) fertilizer application. Mycorrhizal colonization could help to improve the P supply and subsequently stimulate the root nodulation of leguminous plants.

Acknowledgments

We thank UWA Soil Science's technical staff for analyzing soil and plant samples.

Author contributions

ZMS and PB conceived and designed this study. PB, ZMS and NDS performed the experiments, MIS did data analysis. MIS, PB and ZMS wrote the manuscript. ZMS, PS and EB revised the manuscript.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Data Availability Statement

The data supporting the results and conclusions in this manuscript are included in the paper.

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