Comparative Influence of Biochar and Zeolite on Soil Hydrological Indices and Growth Characteristics of Corn (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

Biochar and zeolite, due to their porous structure, are supposed to be appropriate soil amendments especially in agricultural areas with a lack of water or unsuitable soils with coarse texture. Two soil additions that are intended to assist an increase soil water content (AWC) are biochar and zeolite. With this aim, the effects of biochar and zeolite at two levels of 5 and 10 t ha−1 (known as B5, B10, Z5, and Z10) on soil hydrological properties and consequently corn growth were investigated in this study. The results showed that the application of B5 and B10 significantly improved AWC by 76% and 48% due to increasing soil micro- and meso-pores. The application of Z5 and Z10, associated with an increase of macro-pores in soil, enhanced saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) up to 174% and 303% and caused losses. The highest specific surface area and mean weight diameter in soil obtained from B10 had an increase of 171% and 197% over the control. Biochar treatments considerably affected plant growth features and shoot nutrient content, whilst zeolite treatments had an impact that is much less apparent than that of biochar. Observations indicate that biochar greatly boosted nutrient availability and water retention in the soil by raising the share of micro- and mezzo-pores, respectively, and as a result, has benefited plant growth. Increasing the level of biochar application from 5 to 10% would have more positive effects on the water available in the soil and on plant root systems. In contrast, the high rate of application of zeolite particles due to coarseness and adding Na+ ions to the soil caused the dispersion of soil particles, the destruction of soil structure, increasing Ks and water loss and consequently a reduction in plant growth.

Application of Silicon, Zinc, and Zeolite Nanoparticles—A Tool to Enhance Drought Stress Tolerance in Coriander Plants for Better Growth Performance and Productivity

“…Contrariwise, the application of silicon, zinc, and zeolite evidently reduced leaf chlorophyll degradation and increased SC and Fv/Fm and photosynthetic apparatus of drought-stressed plants [41][42][43][44][45]. These findings could be related to the ability of the previous nano-treatments to alleviate the negative impacts of drought by enhancing hydraulic conductivity, conserving higher transpiratory and photosynthesis rates, photosynthetic pigment concentrations, and reducing oxidative damages [46,47]. Furthermore, the improvement in total carbohydrate content in drought-stressed plants supplied with N-silicon, N-zinc, and N-zeolite could be associated with elevating the photosynthesis rate and CO 2 assimilation, as shown in Figure 2D [20,41,[48][49][50]].…”

Exploring the Combined Effects of Different Nitrogen Sources and Chabazite Zeolite-Tuff on Nitrogen Dynamics in an Acidic Sandy-Loam Soil

“…To cite some examples, [50] observed no effects of clinoptilolite zeolite addition to acidic pasture and wetland soils while [37] observed a slight but significant alkalinization effect (from 5.27 to 5.66) 3 days after the addition of N-enriched chabazite in the same acidic sandy soil used in this study. No significant effect of clinoptilolite zeolite addition was reported by [51] while [52] observed a slight increase in soil pH after adding zeolites, from 4.69 to 4.92 and from 6.13 to 6.39 in the two different soils. Some authors explained this pH alkalinization both by the alkaline pH of the used zeolites (in some studies the clinoptilolite showed a pH > 8.0 in H 2 O) or by the adsorption of H + from the soil solution which can lead to a temporary rise in soil pH.…”

Porous Minerals Improve Wheat Shoot Growth and Grain Yield through Affecting Soil Properties and Microbial Community in Coastal Saline Land

“…Compared to other silicate minerals, the spacious porous structure with large channels in bentonite and zeolite could positively affect the exchange capacity of cations (CEC, 200-300 meq 100 −1 g) and subsequently promote the substitution of ions and reduce the contents of salt [31]. However, a recent study showed that the soil SAR in zeolite-treated soils increased by 65% and 143% [32]. This could be due to the different soil types used in the former studies (sandy loam saline) and this (clay loam saline) study.…”