Influence of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Biochar on Floodwater pH and Yield Components of Rice Cultivated on Acid Sulphate Soil under Rice Intensification Practices

Abstract

Rice has a vital role in food security but the production is limited in infertile and degraded soils. Rice is cultivated on acid sulphate soil in the coastal area of Peninsular Malaysia. Soil amendment using biological charcoal (biochar) increases the soil fertility. Thus, empty fruit bunch biochar (EFBB) was applied in a pot experiment under a controlled environment using an organic system of rice intensification (SRI) practice and its effects on the floodwater pH, acid sulphate soil properties and growth performance of rice and yield of rice MR219 were preliminarily investigated. EFBB increased grain yield by 141 to 472%. Plant growth and yield parameters in EFBB amended soils were significantly higher than in soil without biochar. The number of tillers increased significantly with the increase in biochar applied; 28 tillers were produced in the control, while up to 80 tillers were produced in the plots applied 40 t ha -1 EFBB. Moreover, the decline of Al 3+ in flood water indicated that EFBB mitigated Al 3+ toxicity. Soil water pH increased from 3.5 to 6 with increasing EFBB application rates. The grain yield was linearly correlated to the application rate of EFBB. This pot study demonstrates that the application of EFBB combined with organic fertilization and intermittent irrigation has the potential to improve rice yield on acid sulphate soil. Further study in the field is warranted to determine the effect of EFBB on large scale rice production.

Modest amendment of sewage sludge biochar to reduce the accumulation of cadmium into rice(Oryza sativa L.): A field study

“…It is well-known that amendment of biochar to croplands can enhance crop productivity Bakar et al, 2015). As showed in Figs.…”

Critical evaluation of oil palm fresh fruit bunch solid wastes as soil amendments: Prospects and challenges

“…Similarly, the mean shoot dry weight of the sweet corn was 220 g per plot due to the EFB biochar application, while that of the control (without biochar) was 50 g per plot (Abdulrazzaq et al, 2015). Bakar et al (2015) reported that the maximum height of rice, number of panicles/hill, weight of 1000 grains, and total biomass/hill were 22.20, 163, 52.53, and 318.60 % more than the control, respectively using 40 tonnes/ha EFB biochar in a pot study on the effects of EFB biochar on the growth performance of rice.…”

“…High drained upper limit enhances the soil aeration potential. Bakar et al (2015) reported that the soil available P, and exchangeable Ca increased by 41, and 37 % more than the control, respectively using 40 tonnes/ha EFB biochar in a pot study on the effects of EFB biochar on the growth performance of rice. Lee et al (2017b) reported that the application of 20 Mg/ha EFB biochar increased soil exchangeable Ca, K and Mg, and cation exchange capacity significantly by 45.45, 343.4 and 72.73, and 3.14 % more than the control (no biochar), respectively.…”

The oil palm (<i>Elaeis guineensis</i> Jacq): nature’s ecological endowment to eastern Nigeria

“…The empty fruit bunch serves as mulch material and too can be composted and used as organic fertilizer. It has also found use as a feedstock for high-quality biochar (Idris et al, 2014;Bakar et al, 2015;Rozhan et al, 2015). The empty bunch, when burnt, can be used to make local soap.…”