Impact of Biochar and Hydrogel Amendments on Hydrophysical Properties of Sandy Soil and Cowpea Yield (VignaUnguiculata L.) Under Different Water Regimes | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Chemistry | ||||
| Article 46, Volume 65, Issue 4, April 2022, Page 487-497 PDF (413.32 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejchem.2021.97083.4542 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
Adel El-Hassanin1; Magdy Samaka2; Omar El-Hady3; Camilia El-Dewiny4; Fayza El-Sayed Mostafa  4
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| 1Cairo Universty | ||||
| 2Cairo University | ||||
| 3National Research center | ||||
| 4National Research Center | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| South Mediterranean countries including Egypt and Tunisia are characterized by vast lands withuncultivated sandy soils. These soils have poor hydrophysical-bio-chemical properties that are being reclaimeddue to population growth and the need to increase food supply. Furthermore, there is high production of crop and orchard residues from agricultural activities thatlead to harmful effects to theenvironment. Therefore, converting these residues to biochar and theiruse as amendments with sandy soils could improve water retention. This research investigated the effect of three soil amendments: - biochar (50 g/plant and 100 g/plant), hydrogel (2.7 g/plant) and their mixtures (hydro-char) (50 g biochar and 2.7 g hydrogel) on some hydrophysical properties. The properties included soil water constants, pore size distribution and void ratios on yield parameters of the cowpea fodder crop under two irrigation levels (100 and 75% on base of ETc) evaluated under field experiment.The results showed that higher water content at field capacity (FC) and available water content (AW) was observed with the use of 50 and 100g/plant biochar followed by hydro-char combinations. Data revealed that higher values of drainable pores (DP) were recorded after 2.7 g hydrogel, and 100 g biochar; storage pores (SP) after 2.7 hydrogel and 100g biochar, and100g biochar; whereas none useful pores were recorded after2.7 hydrogel under 75 and 100% irrigation regimes. Positivecorrelations were recorded between FC drainable poresDP, storage pores SP, total porosity TP, and void ratio with r-values of 0.544*, 0.983**, 0.805**; 0.814**, respectively.Also, thebiological yield exhibited positive correlations with water holding capacity (WHC), FC, AW, SP,TP, andvoid ratio with r-values of 0.797**, 0.835**, 0.864**, 0.879**, 0.628** and 0.631**, respectively. Yield variables increasedhigher in75% than in 100%irrigation regimes. It wasconcluded that the ability of biochar to enhance the hydrophysical properties of sandy soils is highly dependent on thebiochar characteristics and its application rates. Furthermore, biochar applications can increase water retentionin sandy soils. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Biochar; hydrogel; hydrochar; soil water constants; cowpea; water stress; sandy soil | ||||
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