Effects of mineral fertilization, biochar and fulvic acid on sandy soil properties and nutrients uptake by wheat plants

Abstract EN

Nowadays, due to population growth in Egypt, the reclamation of degraded soils e.

g.

, sandy soil is becoming a major strategy for the government.

Therefore, the aim of this research work was to improve sandy soil properties and optimize the nutrients uptake of wheat plants, which is one of the most important strategical crops in Egypt using mineral fertilizers and some amendments.

Different rates of mineral fertilizers as main plots [NPK₁: 0.47: 0.63: 0.56, NPK₂: 0.71, 1.22: 0.75, NPK₃: 0.94: 1.89: 0.94 and NPK₄: 1.18, 2.52: 1.12, g pot^-1], soil addition of biochar as sub plot [B₀: 0.0 (without biochar), B₁: 56 and B₂: 113, g pot^-1] and foliar application of fulvic acid as sub sub plots [F₀: 0.0(without foliar application) and F₁: 0.2, g L^-1] were investigated under pot experiment during 2017/2018 season using wheat plants.

The obtained results showed that the maximum values of soil available N and P were recorded with applying the maximum NPK fertilizers level combined with biochar at rate of 113, g pot^-1 and fulvic acid.

On the other hand, maximum values of soil available K were reported with applying the maximum NPK fertilizers level without any amendments or without fulvic acid with 113, g pot^-1 of biochar.

Also, the highest values of NPK-uptake in both straw and grains were achieved with applying the maximum NPK fertilizers level combined with biochar at rate of 113, g pot^-1 and fulvic acid.

Generally, it can be concluded that the performance of wheat grown on sandy soil could be optimized by combining NPK fertilizers with biochar amendment, which could reduce nutrient losses, and foliar application fulvic acid, which improved plant resistance against stress conditions of sandy soil under semi-arid conditions