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This is the final published version of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 2022.
For re-use rights please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
Fertilizer is the most expensive input in oil palm cultivation. Biochar can be used to improve the nutrient use efficiency, reducing the cost of fertilizer. Application of biochar from oil palm biomass onto oil palms has been scarcely studied. This paper reports the effects of empty fruit bunch (EFB) and palm kernel shell (PKS) biochar on the soil properties and growth performance of oil palm seedlings. The EFB and PKS biochar used were slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.08 – 7.10) with the former exhibiting well-defined macropores. The seedlings ameliorated with EFB biochar demonstrated improved plant height and biomass with increasing biochar dosage. Marked improvements in uptake of phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and boron were also observed in the palm seedlings treated with EFB biochar. This was associated with the enhanced soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) upon biochar treatment. These positive effects of EFB biochar on plants and soil however were not recorded in the treatment with PKS biochar as the biochar was characterized with marginal porous structures and poor CEC properties. The study concluded that the stimulatory effects of EFB biochar on soil properties and plant growth were primarily governed by the biochar morphology and its cation exchange properties.
Author(s): Hwong CN, Sim SF, Kho LK, Teh YA, Harrold LD, Chua KH, Zainal NH
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Sustainability Science and Management
Year: 2022
Volume: 17
Issue: 4
Pages: 183-200
Print publication date: 01/04/2022
Acceptance date: 16/12/2021
Date deposited: 05/12/2024
ISSN (print): 1823-8556
ISSN (electronic): 2672-7226
Publisher: Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
URL: https://doi.org/10.46754/jssm.2022.4.014
DOI: 10.46754/jssm.2022.4.014
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