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Abstract

The use of biochar as an amendment to the soil is attracting the scientific community's attention because of its cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and its promising success in increasing the fertility of the soil and crop yield. In the present study, the effects of biochar from Senna tora applications on soil characteristics and the availability of micronutrients in Misau, Bauchi State, Nigeria, were explored. A completely randomized approach was adopted and duplicated three times, with reference soil (no biochar), 30-day, and 60-day biochar treatments. The biochar was removed at the end of the treatment, and soil samples from the various treatments were assessed using several analytical techniques for pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic matter (OM), as well as nitrogen, phosphorous, and exchangeable base levels. The findings of the analysis showed that the observed values of parameters investigated range as follows: pH (7.37 to 8.00), organic matter (0.58 to 0.67 %), cation exchange capacity (5.16 to 7.92 cmol/kg), total nitrogen (0.7 to 4.0 g/kg), phosphorus (7.22 to 15.28 cmol/kg), calcium (0.09 to 0.41 cmol/kg), magnesium (1.13 to 3.10 cmol/kg), potassium (1.48 to 2.13 cmol/kg), and sodium (0.34 to 0.56 cmol/kg). The study's findings demonstrated that using Senna tora biochar had a significant impact on the general improvement in soil fertility, and the effect was more pronounced after 60 days of biochar treatment. Based on regression analysis, all the parameters are found to be negative except for calcium (R2 = 0.0072) and potassium (R2 = 0.1579), which show very low correction. It is therefore recommended that field experiments be carried out to demonstrate the practical application of Senna tora biochar. This study highlights the importance of biochar application as a soil amendment for soil fertility enhancement and agricultural productivity.

Article History

Received: Jan 08, 2024; Accepted: Jun 20, 2024; Published: Jun 30, 2024

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