Plant-soil-nutrient profile of bamboo biochar Fertilizer: Its nutrient availability and utilization in saline soils grown with lowland head lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. capitata) plants
Paper Details
Plant-soil-nutrient profile of bamboo biochar Fertilizer: Its nutrient availability and utilization in saline soils grown with lowland head lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. capitata) plants
Abstract
Excessive use of commercial fertilizers and rising costs pose challenges for farmers, while soil salinity further hinders plant growth and reduces crop yields. This research investigated the potential of bamboo-based biochar, as soil conditioner, to alleviate salt stress and promote nutrient utilization of high-value leafy vegetables like lettuce. Lettuce plants were applied with 20 g plant-1 bamboo biochar and irrigated with 50 ml plant-1 at varying salt solutions. Lettuce plants and saline soils applied with bamboo biochar were subjected to plant tissue analysis and soil analysis. The use of bamboo biochar as a soil amendment notably increased both macronutrient and micronutrient levels in soils compared to control soil. In non-saline soils, K levels and iron content increased with bamboo biochar-amended, with a further enhancement in salinity-stressed soils, whereas availability of Mn and Zn decreased in saline soils. The addition of bamboo biochar improved the nutrient levels in the soil, which were subsequently absorbed by the lettuce plants under salinity stress to aid their growth and development. The nutrient levels of both the lettuce and the soil treated with bamboo biochar remained unchanged despite the presence of salinity stress, indicating that it mitigated the harmful impacts of salinity.
Akhtar SS, Andersen MN, Liu F. 2015. Residual effects of biochar on improving growth, physiology and yield of wheat under salt stress. Agricultural Water Management 158, 61–68.
Ali S, Rizwan M, Qayyum MF, Ok YS, Ibrahim M, Riaz M, Shahzad AN. 2017. Biochar soil amendment on alleviation of drought and salt stress in plants: A critical review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 24(14), 12700–12712.
Alkharabsheh HM, Seleiman MF, Hewedy OA, Battaglia ML, Jalal RS, Alhammad BA, Al-Doss A. 2021. Field crop responses and management strategies to mitigate soil salinity in modern agriculture: A review. Agronomy 11(11), 2299.
Chaturvedi K, Singhwane A, Dhangar M, Mili M, Gorhae N, Naik A, Prashant N, Srivastava AK, Verma S. 2024. Bamboo for producing charcoal and biochar for versatile applications. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 14(14), 15159–15185.
Chen L, Chen Q, Rao P, Yan L, Shakib A, Shen G. 2018. Formulating and optimizing a novel biochar-based fertilizer for simultaneous slow-release of nitrogen and immobilization of cadmium. Sustainability 10(8), 2740.
Ding J, Mtolera I, She D, Ma T, Chen K, Yu SE. 2021. Effects of saline water irrigation and biochar amendment on okra growth and nutrient leaching in coastal saline soils. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 52(6), 651–665.
Grieve CM, Grattan SR, Maas EV. 2012. Plant salt tolerance. ASCE Manual and Reports on Engineering Practice 71, 405–459.
Ji Y, Zhang C, Zhang XJ, Xie PF, Wu C, Jiang L. 2022. A high adsorption capacity bamboo biochar for CO₂ capture for low temperature heat utilization. Separation and Purification Technology 293, 121131.
Jiang S. 2004. Training Manual of Bamboo Charcoal for Producers and Consumers. Bamboo Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing. p. 1–54.
Joseph SD, Camps-Arbestain M, Lin Y, Munroe P, Chia CH, Hook J, Van Zwieten L, Kimber S, Cowie A, Singh BP, Lehmann J. 2010. An investigation into the reactions of biochar in soil. Soil Research 48(7), 501–515.
Kabir E, Kim KH, Kwon EE. 2023. Biochar as a tool for the improvement of soil and environment. Frontiers in Environmental Science 11, 1324533.
Kim HS, Kim KR, Yang JE, Ok YS, Owens G, Nehls T, Wessolek G, Kim KH. 2016. Effect of biochar on reclaimed tidal land soil properties and maize (Zea mays L.) response. Chemosphere 142, 153–159.
Kimetu JM, Lehmann J. 2010. Stability and stabilisation of biochar and green manure in soil with different organic carbon contents. Soil Research 48(7), 577–585.
Kumar M, Kumar K. 2019. Role of bio-fertilizers in vegetables production: A review. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 8(1), 328–334.
Li F, Liang X, Niyungeko C, Sun T, Liu F, Arai Y. 2019. Effects of biochar amendments on soil phosphorus transformation in agricultural soils. Advances in Agronomy 158, 131–172.
Mizuta K, Matsumoto T, Hatate Y, Nishihara K, Nakanishi T. 2004. Removal of nitrate-nitrogen from drinking water using bamboo powder charcoal. Bioresource Technology 95(3), 255–257.
Ngo PT, Rumpel C, Ngo QA, Alexis M, Vargas GV, Gil MDLLM, Dang DK, Jouquet P. 2013. Biological and chemical reactivity and phosphorus forms of buffalo manure compost, vermicompost and their mixture with biochar. Bioresource Technology 148, 401–407.
Rao KM, Singh PK, Ryingkhun HBK, Maying B. 2014. Use of bio-fertilizers in vegetable production. Indian Horticultural Journal 4(1), 73–76.
Shrivastava P, Kumar R. 2015. Soil salinity: A serious environmental issue and plant growth promoting bacteria as one of the tools for its alleviation. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 22, 123–131.
Situmeang YP, Adnyana IM, Subadiyasa IN, Merit IN. 2018. Effectiveness of bamboo biochar combined with compost and NPK fertilizer to improved soil quality and corn yield. International Journal on Advanced Science, Engineering and Information Technology 8(5), 2241–2248.
Soothar MK, Mounkaila Hamani AK, Kumar Sootahar M, Sun J, Yang G, Bhatti SM, Traore A. 2021. Assessment of acidic biochar on the growth, physiology and nutrients uptake of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings under salinity stress. Sustainability 13(6), 3150.
Tarin MW, Fan L, Tayyab M, Sarfraz R, Chen L, He T, Rong J, Zheng Y. 2018. Effects of bamboo biochar amendment on the growth and physiological characteristics of Fokienia hodginsii. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 16(6).
Wang C, Luo D, Zhang X, Huang R, Cao Y, Liu G, Zhang Y, Wang H. 2022. Biochar-based slow-release of fertilizers for sustainable agriculture: A mini review. Environmental Science and Ecotechnology 10, 100167.
Zha Y, Zhao L, Wei J, Niu T, Yue E, Wang X, Chen Y, Shi J, Zhou T. 2023. Effect of the application of peanut shell, bamboo, and maize straw biochars on the bioavailability of Cd and growth of maize in Cd-contaminated soil. Frontiers in Environmental Science 11, 1240633.
Zhang SH, Shen Y, Lin LF, Tang SL, Liu CX, Fang XH, Zhu YC. 2024. Effects of bamboo biochar on soil physicochemical properties and microbial diversity in tea gardens. PeerJ 12, e18642.
Gerlie B. Hardy*, Lyle B. Sumer, Marvin V. Baloloy, Monsour R. Lang-es, Jeff M. Opeῆa, 2026. Plant-soil-nutrient profile of bamboo biochar Fertilizer: Its nutrient availability and utilization in saline soils grown with lowland head lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. capitata) plants. Int. J. Biosci., 29(1), 88-96.
Copyright © 2026 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.