The restoration of soils contaminated by antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is essential for agricultural safety and human health. Although biochar and silicon (Si) fertilizer have been commonly applied individually as amendments for soil remediation and rice quality improvement, their combined effects remain unclear. Here, we systematically assessed the effects of the integrated application of biochar and Si fertilizer on rice nutrient uptake, soil properties, bacterial community structure and functions, and ARG abundance by conducting a 120-day pot experiment with four treatments: control (CK), 0.15 t ha-1 of Si fertilizer (SF), 3 t ha-1 of biochar (BC), and their combination (SC). The results showed that the combined treatment enhanced rice panicle length and promoted the translocation of Si and potassium to leaves, while altering the distribution of nitrogen and phosphorus in rice. In soil, co-application did not markedly alter pH, SOM, or most available nutrient levels, but significantly increased TN and TP contents. Moreover, the SC treatment resulted in the lowest abundances of detected ARGs and MGEs among all treatments. It also reshaped the bacterial community composition and functional profiles, including reduced abundance or functional contribution of key r-strategist genera associated with ARGs and nitrogen/phosphorus metabolism, such as Dinghuibacter and Roseomonas. Overall, the co-application of biochar and Si fertilizer improved rice nutrient supply, enhanced soil nutrient status, and mitigated the dissemination of ARGs. These findings provide a scientific basis for sustainable paddy field production and ARG risk management in paddy ecosystems.
Declining soil fertility is a major constraint to sustainable crop production in sub-Saharan Africa, and sole reliance on inorganic fertilizers raises concerns about long-term soil health. This study evaluated the effects of maize cob biochar and NPK fertilizer, applied individually and in combination, on soil properties, growth, and yield of maize (
Zea mays
L.) in Akure, Nigeria. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Treatments included control, biochar (1.5 and 3.0 t/ha), NPK fertilizer (100 and 200 kg/ha), and a combined application of 1.5 t/ha biochar with 100 kg/ha fertilizer. Growth parameters measured included plant height, leaf area index, internode length, and stem girth, while yield indices and post-harvest soil chemical properties were also assessed. Results showed that all treatments significantly improved maize performance compared to the control. Biochar alone produced the highest growth values and yield components, including cob weight (375.12 g), number of seeds per cob (707.80), and seed weight per cob (203.53 g), compared to the control (161.50 g, 104.73, and 37.49 g, respectively). The combined treatment also recorded high values (313.52 g, 670.50, and 169.94 g). Biochar improved soil properties, increasing organic carbon (0.89%) and organic matter (1.52%) relative to the control (0.69% and 0.19%), while fertilizer enhanced available phosphorus (5.39 cmol/kg). The study concludes that integrating maize cob biochar with inorganic fertilizer is an effective and sustainable strategy for improving soil fertility and maize productivity.
O. Nwafor, A. Johnson, Akinbuwa Olumakinde et al.· Advances in Bioscience and B...· 0 citations
Excessive use of chemical fertilizers degrades soil health and threatens sustainable crop production, which can be mitigated by partially substituting chemical fertilizers with Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L., MV, as green manure). However, the mechanisms through which MV incorporation alters soil microbial community structure and function, enhances soil quality and crop productivity, as well as its long-term effects in paddy soils, are still not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the responses of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties (to comprehensively evaluate soil quality); microbial community structure and function; rice productivity; and the sustainable yield index (SYI) to five fertilizer treatments based on a 13-year field experiment in a paddy’s soil in Henan, China. The treatments included: CK (no chemical fertilizer and no MV), F100 (100% chemical fertilizer), MVF80, MVF60 and MVF40 (80%, 60%, and 40% of the chemical fertilizer rate combined with MV, respectively). Compared with the F100 treatment, MVF60 slightly increased rice yield by 1.71% and significantly improved SYI by 5.10%. All MV treatments significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC, by 14.4–16.3%) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC, by 16.7–20.1%). MVF60 and MVF40 significantly reduced bulk density, and increased macroaggregate content and mean weight diameter (MWD). MVF80 significantly enriched soil total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), mineral nitrogen (Nmin), and urease (UE). The improvement in these soil properties resulted in a marked increase (by 11.6–20.1%) in the soil quality index (SQI) under all MV treatments. Random forest analysis identified MBC and Nmin as the most important predictors of SQI. Moreover, MV incorporation increased the relative abundance of beneficial taxa (Firmicutes, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Bradyrhizobium, and Nigrospora), which were positively correlated with SQI (p < 0.05), while reducing the relative abundance of pathogenic fungal genera such as Fusarium. Furthermore, regression analysis revealed strong positive correlations between SQI and both rice yield and SYI. In summary, long-term MV incorporation with a 40% reduction in chemical fertilizer (MVF60) constitutes an effective and sustainable nutrient management approach for rice production in southern China. This practice enhances soil quality through improved physical structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial community structure and function, ultimately resulting in higher and more stable yields.
Ji-Shi Zhang, Min Tao, Chunfeng Zheng et al.· Agriculture· 0 citations
Soil salinization has become a major constraint on sustainable agricultural development and the improvement of crop productivity. However, the effects of biochar combined with different organic amendments on the microbial ecology of saline–alkaline soils and crop performance remain insufficiently understood. This study evaluated the effects of different amendment strategies, including sole applications of fulvic acid (FA), organic fertilizer (OF), and biochar (BC), as well as their combinations. Soil bacterial community composition, richness, and diversity, oat agronomic traits, hay yield, and forage quality indicators were assessed. Spearman correlation analysis and the Mantel test were employed to examine the relationships among soil physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and crop performance. Combined applications exerted stronger effects on modulating soil bacterial community composition than sole applications, while FA, BC, or their combinations significantly enhanced bacterial richness and diversity. Crop responses exhibited distinct functional differentiation among combined treatments. The biochar combined with fulvic acid (BC + FA) treatment showed the greatest potential for promoting oat growth and increasing yield, with plant height and stem diameter reaching 99.20 cm and 3.99 mm, respectively, and hay yield increasing by 48.5% compared with the control treatment. In contrast, the biochar combined with organic fertilizer (BC + OF) treatment significantly increased crude protein content (CP) and reduced acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents, indicating improved forage quality. Although the crude fat content was numerically higher under BC + OF, no significant differences were observed among treatments. Correlation analyses further revealed that changes in soil physicochemical properties were associated with variations in several dominant bacterial genera, which were correlated with oat agronomic traits and forage quality indicators. Overall, the combined application of biochar with fulvic acid or organic fertilizer improved saline-alkaline soil microbial characteristics and showed potential for enhancing forage oat yield and quality, with BC + FA primarily improving yield production and BC + OF mainly enhancing forage quality.
Teng Wang, Zhen Li, Shilan Shao et al.· Land· 0 citations
Rice production in Indonesia increasingly relies on agricultural intensification, which can accelerate soil degradation and reduce fertilizer-use efficiency. Therefore, sustainable soil management is needed to maintain soil fertility. Silica-enriched rice husk biochar (biochar-silica) is a promising soil amendment because it improves soil properties and nutrient retention. This study evaluated the effects of biochar-silica and NPK fertilization on soil total nitrogen, nitrogen uptake, and yield of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.). The experiment was conducted from September 2025 to January 2026 using a two-factor randomized block design with nine treatment combinations and three replications. The treatment consisted of three levels of amendment (0 t biochar ha−1; 1.25 t biochar ha−1 + 160 kg SiO2 ha−1; 2.5 t biochar ha−1 + 320 kg SiO2 ha−1) and three levels of NPK fertilizer application (0 kg urea ha−1 + 50 kg SP-36 ha−1 + 37.5 kg KCl ha−1; 100 kg urea ha−1 + 50 kg SP-36 ha−1 + 37.5 kg KCl ha−1; 200 kg urea ha−1 + 100 kg SP-36 ha−1 + 75 kg KCl ha−1). Significant interaction effects were observed on soil total nitrogen, harvested dry grain yield, and milled dry grain yield, whereas nitrogen uptake was significantly affected only by NPK fertilizer application. Under the experimental conditions, the interaction between biochar-silica and NPK fertilizer application resulted in soil total nitrogen to 0.42% and milled dry grain yield to 6.63 t ha⁻¹. These findings demonstrate that integrating biochar-silica with NPK fertilizer application can improve soil nitrogen status and support lowland rice production.
E. Sofyan, O. Mulyani, Ania Citraresmini et al.· Kultivasi· 0 citations
Increased food production has become a global urgency due to population growth and limited productive land. Efficient use of resources, particularly water, and optimization of marginal land such as peat soil are important strategies in sustainable agricultural production. This study introduces a novel combination of water depth management and biochar application to improve rice growth and yield on peat soils, an approach that has been rarely explored. The study was conducted using a Randomized Block Design with a 4 × 4 factorial pattern consisting of two factors. The first factor was water depth with four levels: 0, 3, 6, and 9 cm. The second factor was biochar dose with four levels: 0, 4, 6, and 8 tons ha−1. The results showed that water level did not significantly affect rice plant growth and yield. However, biochar dose treatment significantly affected plant height growth and plant productivity. The control treatment (without biochar) produced a yield of 1.47 ton ha−1, which falls within the typical range of rice yields on peat soils (1.1-1.9 tons ha−1). Application of 6 tons ha−1 of biochar increased yield by 1.12 tons ha−1 compared to the control, representing an improvement of approximately 76%. These findings indicate that the combination of water depth management and biochar application effectively improves rice productivity on peat soils. This study contributes new insights to peatland rice management by recommending a water depth of 0 cm combined with 6 tons ha−1 of biochar as an effective and sustainable strategy to enhance rice yield.
M. Fajarna, Helmi, M. Sayuthi· IOP Conference Series: Earth...· 0 citations
Biobased fertilizers are increasingly considered viable alternatives to mineral phosphorus (P) fertilizers, however their agronomic performance in calcareous soils remains insufficiently documented. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of composted organic waste (olive mill pomace, OMP; solid urban residue, SUR, and sewage sludge, SWS), applied individually or in combination with struvite (STR) to increase soil fertility, enhance plant growth and promote crop biofortification. A pot experiment was conducted using wheat as a model crop in three Mediterranean soils (Entisol, Inceptisol, and Vertisol) differing in carbonate content and P phytoavailability. All treatments supplied 50 mg P per kg of soil, including the application of diammonium phosphate (DAP), while unamended soils received no P (CON). Soil type modulated the performance of the biobased fertilizers. SUR and SWS, applied alone in the Entisol and Vertisol or combined with STR in all soils, increased plant-available soil P (74-238%) relative to CON. SWS, applied alone or with STR, achieved wheat yields comparable to those of DAP in the Entisol and Vertisol and exceeded DAP yields in the Inceptisol. The combination of SUR or SWS with STR resulted in plant P use efficiencies comparable to or higher than those obtained with DAP. SUR and SUR+STR enhanced wheat biofortification in the Inceptisol. By contrast, OMP showed limited effectiveness as a biobased fertilizer due to insufficient stabilization during the composting process, although its performance improved when combined with STR. Overall, while SUR and SWS alone or in combination with STR, can substitute mineral P fertilizers, their effectiveness depends on soil type and compost stabilization.
Sana Boubehziz, Lucía Guerrero-Gallardo, Vidal Barrón et al.· Frontiers in Soil Science· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
