Impact of nanobiochar fertilizers on maize yield under rainfed conditions

Abstract

An investigation entitled, "Effect of N And K Loaded Nanobiochar Fertilizers on Maize (Zea mays) Yield Under Rainfed Conditions" was conducted at Advanced Centre for Rainfed Agriculture (ACRA), Rakh Dhiansar, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, during the year 2022 and 2023. The soil of the experiment was sandy loam in texture, slightly acidic in pH (6.6), low in organic carbon (0.32%), available nitrogen (161 kg [email protected]‑1) and potassium (87.4 kg ha-1) but medium in available phosphorus (14.5 kg ha-1). Field experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications, comprising of twelve treatments. There was no significant difference among the various treatments with respect to pH, EC, bulk density, porosity and penetration resistance. The application of N and K-loaded nanobiochar fertilizers notably boosted both grain and stover yields in 2022 and 2023. Regarding grain yield, T4 recorded the highest yield in 2022 at 38.53 q ha-1, while T12 produced a slightly lower but comparable yield of 37.06 q ha-1. In 2023, T12 achieved the highest grain yield of 43.04 q ha-1, outpacing other treatments. The study concluded that nitrogen and potassium loaded nanobiochar application improved the soil properties, crop growth and yield of maize as compared to sole application of recommended dose of fertilizers.