Effects of empty fruit bunch brochar and urea fertiuzer on the production of Maize and selected tropical soil properties

• Main Author: Puvaneswaree Nalaya
• Format: Academic Exercise
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: S Agriculture (General)
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/19059/1/Effects%20of%20empty%20fruit%20bunch%20brochar%20and%20urea%20fertiuzer%20on%20the%20producrron%20of%20Maize%20and%20selected%20tropical%20soil%20properties.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/19059/
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Sabah

This study was carried out under rain shelter number 4B located at Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of empty fruit bunch (EFB) biochar and urea fertilizer on the growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) and selected soil properties. This pot study used a completely randomized design (CRD) as a factorial experiment for duration of about 11 weeks. The two factors were rate of EFB biochar application (0, 7.5 and 15 tha-1) and urea application rates (0, 60 and 120 kg ha-1). Each treatment combination was replicated four times. Plant height, plant total dry matter, fresh cob weight, dry cob weight, soil pH H20, soil pHKO, total soil organic carbon, soil organic matter and soil total nitrogen were measured and all data were analyzed using two way analysis of variance CANOVA) at 5% level of significance. All results are reported on per plant basis. These results showed that there was no Significant interaction between EFB biochar and urea fertilizer on plant height, plant total dry matter, fresh cob weight, dry cob weight and soil total nitrogen. Further, the individual main effects of EFB biochar and urea fertilizer rates had no significant effect on these variables. For 0, 7.5 and 15 tha-1 EFB biochar rates, mean plant height was 111.67 cm, 113.42 cm and 107.50 cm; mean plant total dry matter was 49.40 g, 60.29 g and 45.90 g; mean fresh cob weight was 38.47 g, 25.41 g and 28.93 g; mean dry cob weight was 7.56 g, 6.46 9 and 6.31 9 and mean soil total nitrogen was 0.25%, 0.24% and 0.24% respectively; while for the 0, 60 and 120 kg ha-1 urea rates, mean plant height was 108.92 cm, 108.17 cm and 115.50 cm; mean plant total dry matter was 52.88 g, 51.38 9 and 51.32 g; mean fresh cob weight was 30.09 g, 29.43 9 and 33.28 g; mean dry cob weight was 6.31 g, 6.24 9 and 7.77 g and mean soil total nitrogen was 0.25%, 0.24% and 0.24% respectively. There was a significant interaction between EFB biochar and urea fertilizer on soil pHH20, soil pHKO' total soil organic carbon and soil organic matter. It can be concluded that there is no Significant difference in maize plant growth, yield and soil total nitrogen between EFB biochar application rates. However, its application Significantly improved soil chemical properties such as soil pHH20, soil pHKO, total soil organic carbon and soil organic matter. This interaction between EFB biochar and urea fertilizer needs further investigation.