COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF BIOCHAR AND PADDY SOIL AS SUBSTRATES FOR RICE (ORYZA SATIVA L.) SEEDLING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Anthony AC Mendy and Ernestine Niyonsaba
Anthony AC Mendy: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, Department of Agriculture, Cape Point, Bakau, The Gambia & Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University, P.O. Box 536-20115 Egerton, Kenya.
Ernestine Niyonsaba: Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University, P.O. Box 536-20115 Egerton, Kenya.
ABSTRACT
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important cereal crop that feed more than half of the global population, making its production vital for food security. Seedling development is a fundamental stage of rice growth that determine the vigor, establishment and ultimate productivity of the crop in the field. The experiment was conducted at Egerton University teaching and research field to determine the performance of substrate with different percentage of soil and rice husk biochar on growth and development of rice seedlings. The substrates were: S100B0 (100% soil and 0% biochar), S75B25 (75% soil and 25% biochar), S50B50 (50% soil and 50% biochar, S25B75 (25% soil and 75% biochar), S0B100 (0% soil and 100% biochar). Data collected were emergence at 7 and 14 days after sowing, plant height, soil plant analysis development (SPAD) both collected weekly from 14 to 35 days after sowing, biomass weight at 35 days after sowing, tissue nitrogen and tissue phosphorus was analyzed from the harvested seedlings at 35 days after sowing. ANOVA was conducted by use of R. software version 4.4.4 and general linear model (GLM) technique. Pearson’s correlation was used to analyze the correlation between growth and nutrient. The treatments mean was compared using Fisher’s Least Significant Difference (LSD) at P≤0.05 level of significance. The highest percent emergence was recorded from S0B100 and the tallest seedlings 4.9 cm were produced at S75B25. Tissue nitrogen and SPAD were affected highly by S75B25 with 5.1% and 25.0 for tissue nitrogen and SPAD respectively. The highest percentage of tissue phosphorus was 0.48% recorded from S0B100 and the least 0.32 % from S75B25. Use of appropriate substrate is important as it can influence germination, crop vigor, nutrient uptake as well as plant health in general. The choice of nursery substrate influences not only germination rates but also root architecture, nutrient uptake, and the ability to withstand transplanting shock.
Keywords: Biochar; Rice Seedling; Soil; Substrate