Biochar has not been adequately used by farmers to improve the soil properties in the world and less attention is given to effects of biochar (BC) in semi-arid and arid environments with few studies in sandy soils. So, agricultural applications of biochar (BC) to these soils should be considered as a possible way of improving productivity and sustainability. A pot experiment was conducted in winter season of 2020 ( 20th of November) to evaluate the effect of two different biochars derived from palm tree wastes (PTWB) and olive pomace wastes (OPWB) on some physical and chemical properties, including available nutrients (N, P and K), EC, pH and bulk density. The soil was loamy sand and collected from Elshekha Salam region, at Meet Kenana village, Tukh City, El-Qalubiea Governorate, Egypt. Treatments consisted of a factorial combination of two types of biochar (PTWB and OPWB) and three biochar levels (0, 0.5 and 1%). The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The results showed that PTWB and OPWB led to marked changes in the studied physiochemical properties and the influence of PTWB on these properties was lower than OPWB. EC, pH and available N, P and K values were recorded as follows 5.15 dS m-1, 8.29, 32.73 mg kg-1, 14.28 mg kg-1and 244.4 mg kg-1, respectively, due to application of 1% OPWB, whereas the respective values in the control treatment had the lowest values of these items and were as follows 3,76 dS m-1, 8.03, 23.13 mg kg-1, 11.99 mg kg-1and 132.0 mg kg-1 . Application of PTWB and OPWB in the sandy loam soil decreased its bulk density and the use of 1% of OPWB was responsible for its lowest value (1.36 g cm-1). Our results concluded that both PTWB and OPWB could be recommended as promising amendments for improving the physiochemical properties of sandy loam soils. |
