Drought is an abiotic stress that threatens sustainable food production worldwide. The current study investigates the feasibility of using acidified-biochar to increase wheat productivity in arid soils under deficit irrigation systems. To attain this aim, acidified-biochar was prepared from maize-stover at 550°C, then mixed with 0.1M H2SO4. A pot experiment was then conducted following a complete randomized-block-design comprising 2 factors: (1) maintaining soil moisture at 60, 80 and 100% of soil field capacity (FC60 , FC80 and FC100, respectively) and (2) biochar application dose 0 (B0), 5 (B5) and 10 g kg-1 (B10). All pots received recommended N and P doses. Results reveal that deficit irrigations lessened available N and K concentrations, while in case of available-P, its concentration followed the sequence of: FC80>FC100>FC60. Likewise, NPK uptake and proline content followed the same sequence of available-P. On the other hand, application of biochar elevated NPK uptake by plants, and also raised proline contents in shoots, especially with increasing its dose. Generally, there were significant positive correlations among values of NPK uptake by wheat plants and, in particular the increases in biomasses of different plant parts were highly correlated with P uptake by plants. Concerning the combination between the two factors, the highest shoot and grain yields were detected for FC100+B5. This treatment also recorded the highest NPK uptake. In conclusion, acidified biochar boosted wheat growth and productivity while rationalizing 20% of water inputs. Further investigations are needed to be carried out under field conditions for at least 2 successive years.
|
