Biochar from chicken manure significantly increases wheat and barley yields

Abstract

© SGEM2019. The use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable fertilizers is an area of great interest throughout the world. One such fertilizer is biochar, obtained by the method of biomass pyrolysis (manures, green mass, and mushrooms). Biochar obtained from chicken manure is discussed relatively rarely in the literature; however, it seems to be a good fertilizer because of its significant nutrient content. Moreover, preparation of biochar from chicken manure solves another serious environmental problem: Its utilization. The main objective of this work was to research the effect of biochar derived from chicken manure on crop yields in a field experiment. Biochar was prepared by heating manure to 400 ⁰C for 4 h in a 200-L rotary pyrolysis machine. Two plant cultures were used in the experiment: Spring barley Hordeum vulgare and spring wheat Triticum aestivum. Biochar was applied at a dose of 30 t ha-1. Soil treated with a conventional complex mineral fertilizer was used as a positive control (fertilizer containing 6% nitrogen, 15% potassium, and 15% phosphorus was applied at a dose of 0.4 t ha-1). Untreated soil was used as a negative control. In the case of barley, the yield increased by 49% with fertilizer as compared with the negative control, while in the case of wheat, no positive effect was observed. Biochar application led to 46% and 41% increases in the yields of barley and wheat, respectively. Moreover, a positive synergetic effect was observed for barley when biochar was used along with fertilizer: 71% as compared with the control.