Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
as a result of greater stem diameter, Leaf area, flowering and rooting with
amelioration of the growing medium with biochar.
13.3.2 BIOCHAR APPLICATIONS IN PROTECTED
CULTIVATION (GREENHOUSE TECHNOLOGY)
Cultivation of high value crops under poly house or greenhouse conditions
requires ideal conditions for optimum production. Even a slight stress
can cause drastic economic loss. So biochar application to ameliorate the
growing medium under protected cultivation for crops like tomato, straw-
berries, cutflowers and other offseason vegetables presents a superior me-
dium for growth of plants right from germination to the bearing stage.
Biochar amendment not only results in better soil physical conditions to
reduce abiotic stresses of mechanical impedance and water scarcity, but
also helps ward off biotic stresses such as plant diseases under green house
conditions with its better potential to harbor beneficial soil microorgan-
isms and biocontrol agents.
13.3.3 BIOCHAR—A SUITABLE MATERIAL FOR FRUIT
NURSERIES
Biochar has excellent water retention and nutrient supplying capacities.
It promotes aggregation of soil particles but still remains soft and porous.
Thus it is a material perfectly suitable for ameliorating the soil to be used
as earth ball while transporting fruit saplings from nurseries to new or-
chards.
13.3.4 BIOCHAR—A POTENTIAL INOCULANTS CARRIER
FOR BIOFERTILIZERS
Biochar has been reported to be a good potential carrier material for bio-
fertilizers. As such it has been shown to harbor Rhizobium and Pseudo-
monas in its pores and can be used in the biofertilizer manufacturing with
good shelf life. Glodowska et al. (2013) demonstrated that the survival of
bacteria depends on the type of biochar and that the biochars with neu-
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