Effect of rice straw biochar and irrigation on growth, dry matter yield and radiation-use efficiency of maize grown on an Acrisol in Ghana
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Date
2019-11-18
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
journal of agronomy and crop science
Abstract
In order to determine whether the current low productivity associated with rainfed
cultivation on degraded soils in Ghana can be improved by biochar amendment and
irrigation, field experiments with maize were conducted over two seasons in 2017
and 2018. Rice straw biochar at rates of 0 t/ha (B0), 15 t/ha (B15) and 30 t/ha (B30)
was combined with irrigation regimes of full irrigation (I100), deficit irrigation (I60) and
no irrigation (I0). The I100 treatment was irrigated to field capacity every 3–4 days according
to time domain reflectometry measurements while the I60 treatment received
60% of the irrigation amount given to I100 but with the same irrigation frequency. The
I0 treatment was not irrigated. In both seasons, the B30 treatment recorded the highest
total dry matter yield (TDMY), intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR)
and radiation-use efficiency (RUE) and these were significantly (p ≤ .05) higher than
B0 except for RUE in 2017. Irrigation regimes did not significantly affect TDMY, IPAR
and RUE in 2017 but compared to I100, I0 significantly reduced TDMY, IPAR and RUE
in the relatively dryer 2018 season. Measured ratio vegetation indices differentiated
biochar treatments earlier in the 2018 season than during 2017 and increase of leaf
chlorophyll content indices with biochar rate in both seasons indicated that biochar
amendment improved nitrogen uptake. Our study demonstrated that rice straw biochar
is capable of increasing TDMY, IPAR and RUE of maize grown on degraded soils in
Ghana. The study further showed that TDMY, IPAR and RUE of deficit irrigated maize
for two seasons were similar to the counterpart fully irrigated maize and may be a viable
water management option for farmers in Ghana to save irrigation water resources
Description
Research Article
Keywords
intercepted radiation, leaf chlorophyll content, ratio vegetation index, soil water content, weathered tropical soil
Citation
Oppong Danso E, Yakubu A, Arthur E, Sabi EB, Abenney-Mickson S, Andersen MN. Effect of rice straw biochar and irrigation on growth, dry matter yield and radiation-use efficiency of maize grown on an Acrisol in Ghana. J Agro Crop Sci. 2020;206:296–307. https ://doi. org/10.1111/jac.12383