Browsing by Author "Egyir, M."
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Item Agro-Industrial Waste Biochar Abated Nitrogen Leaching from Tropical Sandy Soils and Boosted Dry Matter Accumulation in Maize(Journal of Carbon Research, 2023) Egyir, M.; Lawson, I.Y.D.; Dodor, D.E.; Luyima, D.This study was conducted to assess the effects of amending tropical sandy soils with biochar derived from agro-industrial wastes on the leaching and utilization of nitrogen (N) by maize. The experiment was conducted in pots in a greenhouse with two sandy soil types and two different biochars. The biochars used in this experiment were preselected in a preliminary column experiment that assessed the N retention capacities of the different biochars and those that exhibited the best retention capacities chosen for experimentation. The biochars evaluated included saw dust, rice husk and corncob pyrolyzed at 500 ◦C and the results from the column leaching experiment showed that sawdust biochar had superior retention capacities for both NO3 − and NH4 + , followed by rice husk biochar. The pot experiment utilized sawdust and rice husk biochars applied at rates of 0, 20 and 40 t/ha to the soil treated with different N sources including cow dung and ammonium sulfate and growing maize on the amendments for two seasons with each season lasting for five weeks. The soils were leached on the 14th and 28th days after planting to determine the amount of leachable N. Biochar amendments reduced the leaching of NO3 −N and NH4 +N with no significant differences observed between biochar types, but between soil types. The abatement of leaching by biochar amendments consequently enhanced N uptake by maize and dry matter production and thus, agro-industrial waste biochar amendment is recommended for reducing leaching in tropical sandy soils.Item Agro-Industrial Waste Biochar Abated Nitrogen Leaching from Tropical Sandy Soils and Boosted Dry Matter Accumulation in Maize(Journal of Carbon Research, 2023) Egyir, M.; Lawson, I.Y.D.; Dodor, D.E.; Luyima, D.This study was conducted to assess the effects of amending tropical sandy soils with biochar derived from agro-industrial wastes on the leaching and utilization of nitrogen (N) by maize. The experiment was conducted in pots in a greenhouse with two sandy soil types and two different biochars. The biochars used in this experiment were preselected in a preliminary column experiment that assessed the N retention capacities of the different biochars and those that exhibited the best retention capacities chosen for experimentation. The biochars evaluated included saw dust, rice husk and corncob pyrolyzed at 500 ◦C and the results from the column leaching experiment showed that sawdust biochar had superior retention capacities for both NO3 − and NH4 + , followed by rice husk biochar. The pot experiment utilized sawdust and rice husk biochars applied at rates of 0, 20 and 40 t/ha to the soil treated with different N sources including cow dung and ammonium sulfate and growing maize on the amendments for two seasons with each season lasting for five weeks. The soils were leached on the 14th and 28th days after planting to determine the amount of leachable N. Biochar amendments reduced the leaching of NO3 −N and NH4 +N with no significant differences observed between biochar types, but between soil types. The abatement of leaching by biochar amendments consequently enhanced N uptake by maize and dry matter production and thus, agro-industrial waste biochar amendment is recommended for reducing leaching in tropical sandy soils.Item Agro-industrial waste biochar abated nitrogen leaching from tropical sandy soils and boosted dry matter accumulation in maize(Journal of Carbon Research, 2023) Egyir, M.; Lawson, I.Y.D.; Dodor, D.E.; Luyima, D.This study was conducted to assess the effects of amending tropical sandy soils with biochar derived from agro-industrial wastes on the leaching and utilization of nitrogen (N) by maize. The experiment was conducted in pots in a greenhouse with two sandy soil types and two different biochars. The biochars used in this experiment were preselected in a preliminary column experiment that assessed the N retention capacities of the different biochars and those that exhibited the best retention capacities chosen for experimentation. The biochars evaluated included saw dust, rice husk and corncob pyrolyzed at 500 ◦C and the results from the column leaching experiment showed that sawdust biochar had superior retention capacities for both NO3 − and NH4 + , followed by rice husk biochar. The pot experiment utilized sawdust and rice husk biochars applied at rates of 0, 20 and 40 t/ha to the soil treated with different N sources including cow dung and ammonium sulfate and growing maize on the amendments for two seasons with each season lasting for five weeks. The soils were leached on the 14th and 28th days after planting to determine the amount of leachable N. Biochar amendments reduced the leaching of NO3 −N and NH4 +N with no significant differences observed between biochar types, but between soil types. The abatement of leaching by biochar amendments consequently enhanced N uptake by maize and dry matter production and thus, agro-industrial waste biochar amendment is recommended for reducing leaching in tropical sandy soils.Item Using Biochar To Reduce Leaching And Enhance Nitrogen Uptake In Two Ghanaian Soils(University of Ghana, 2016-12) Egyir, M.In recent times the use of biochar as soil amendment has been proposed as one of the ways for reducing nitrogen leaching particularly in sandy soils because it has the potential to retain cations and anions. Three different biochar types (sawdust, rice husk and corn cob) pyrolysed at 400°C were tested in the laboratory to investigate their retention capacity for NO3- and NH4+. One hundred and fifty grams (150 g) of each biochar was packed into acrylic cylinders to create biochar column. The soluble cations in these biochar types were then leached out completely. Three nitrogen fertilizer solutions (ammonium sulphate, potassium nitrate and ammonium nitrate) prepared at 1.36 g N per litre were allowed to pass through the column and leachate collected to determine NO3-N and NH4+N. Results from the column leaching experiment showed that the sawdust biochar had superior retention capacity for NO3- and NH4+. This could be due to its relatively higher surface area when compared to the other biochar types. In another experiment in the screen house, the sawdust and rice husk biochar types were applied at 0, 20 and 40 t/ha and treated with different N sources (cow dung and ammonium sulphate; 265 N kg/ha) in two soils, Keta series (Quartzi Psamment) and Nyankpala series (Plinthic Acrisol) and maize was grown for five weeks. During the growth period the treated soils were leached at 14 and 28 days after planting to determine the quantity of available nitrogen (N) leached out. Biochar amendment of the soils reduced leaching of NO3-N and NH4-N, indicative of their ability to retain N in the soils. The amendment also enhanced dry matter production and N uptake by maize, therefore biochar amendment is recommended for reducing leaching. It was also recommended that the experiment should be conducted under field condition.