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Effects of Biochar, Plant Density and Spacing on Growth and Yield of Rice in a Tropical Inland Valley Swamp

Received: 13 February 2021    Accepted: 23 February 2021    Published: 10 March 2021
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Abstract

Biochar has been confirmed to boost soil fertility and crop efficiency. The study aimed to examine the impacts of different combinations of biochar, plant hill and spacing on the growth and yield parameters of rice (Oryza sativa L.) var NERICA L 19 in an inland valley swamp in Sierra Leone. The experiment was performed in a Randomized Complete Block Design using eight treatment combinations including: two levels of Biochar-soil mixtures (10 t ha-1 and 0 t ha-1), two levels of plant density per hill (1 seedling per hill and 2 seedlings per hill), and two levels of plant spacing (25 cm and 20 cm). Growth parameters were conducted at 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks after transplanting (WAT), while yield parameters were measured at harvest. Biochar hill and spacing had no significant effect on plant height, leaf area, grain yield, straw yield, and harvest index, but biochar plant spacing had a significant effect on tiller number. Biochar significantly enhanced plant growth (tiller number) and yield attribute traits such as panicle number and straw yield. The potential of gliricidia biochar in supporting increased growth and yield suggest its exploitation for both straw and grain yield productivity of rice in the IVS. Residual gliricidia biochar could be also exploited in future studies to determine their benefit in enhancing grain yield in IVS rice.

Published in International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences (Volume 7, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijaas.20210702.11
Page(s) 77-83
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This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Biochar, Grain Yield, Density, Rice Straw, Panicle Number, Spacing

References
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    Hindolo Andrew Bebeley, Prince Tongor Mabey, Prince Emmanuel Norman. (2021). Effects of Biochar, Plant Density and Spacing on Growth and Yield of Rice in a Tropical Inland Valley Swamp. International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences, 7(2), 77-83. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20210702.11

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    Hindolo Andrew Bebeley; Prince Tongor Mabey; Prince Emmanuel Norman. Effects of Biochar, Plant Density and Spacing on Growth and Yield of Rice in a Tropical Inland Valley Swamp. Int. J. Appl. Agric. Sci. 2021, 7(2), 77-83. doi: 10.11648/j.ijaas.20210702.11

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    AMA Style

    Hindolo Andrew Bebeley, Prince Tongor Mabey, Prince Emmanuel Norman. Effects of Biochar, Plant Density and Spacing on Growth and Yield of Rice in a Tropical Inland Valley Swamp. Int J Appl Agric Sci. 2021;7(2):77-83. doi: 10.11648/j.ijaas.20210702.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijaas.20210702.11,
      author = {Hindolo Andrew Bebeley and Prince Tongor Mabey and Prince Emmanuel Norman},
      title = {Effects of Biochar, Plant Density and Spacing on Growth and Yield of Rice in a Tropical Inland Valley Swamp},
      journal = {International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences},
      volume = {7},
      number = {2},
      pages = {77-83},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijaas.20210702.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20210702.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijaas.20210702.11},
      abstract = {Biochar has been confirmed to boost soil fertility and crop efficiency. The study aimed to examine the impacts of different combinations of biochar, plant hill and spacing on the growth and yield parameters of rice (Oryza sativa L.) var NERICA L 19 in an inland valley swamp in Sierra Leone. The experiment was performed in a Randomized Complete Block Design using eight treatment combinations including: two levels of Biochar-soil mixtures (10 t ha-1 and 0 t ha-1), two levels of plant density per hill (1 seedling per hill and 2 seedlings per hill), and two levels of plant spacing (25 cm and 20 cm). Growth parameters were conducted at 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks after transplanting (WAT), while yield parameters were measured at harvest. Biochar hill and spacing had no significant effect on plant height, leaf area, grain yield, straw yield, and harvest index, but biochar plant spacing had a significant effect on tiller number. Biochar significantly enhanced plant growth (tiller number) and yield attribute traits such as panicle number and straw yield. The potential of gliricidia biochar in supporting increased growth and yield suggest its exploitation for both straw and grain yield productivity of rice in the IVS. Residual gliricidia biochar could be also exploited in future studies to determine their benefit in enhancing grain yield in IVS rice.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Effects of Biochar, Plant Density and Spacing on Growth and Yield of Rice in a Tropical Inland Valley Swamp
    AU  - Hindolo Andrew Bebeley
    AU  - Prince Tongor Mabey
    AU  - Prince Emmanuel Norman
    Y1  - 2021/03/10
    PY  - 2021
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20210702.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijaas.20210702.11
    T2  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
    JF  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
    JO  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
    SP  - 77
    EP  - 83
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2469-7885
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20210702.11
    AB  - Biochar has been confirmed to boost soil fertility and crop efficiency. The study aimed to examine the impacts of different combinations of biochar, plant hill and spacing on the growth and yield parameters of rice (Oryza sativa L.) var NERICA L 19 in an inland valley swamp in Sierra Leone. The experiment was performed in a Randomized Complete Block Design using eight treatment combinations including: two levels of Biochar-soil mixtures (10 t ha-1 and 0 t ha-1), two levels of plant density per hill (1 seedling per hill and 2 seedlings per hill), and two levels of plant spacing (25 cm and 20 cm). Growth parameters were conducted at 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks after transplanting (WAT), while yield parameters were measured at harvest. Biochar hill and spacing had no significant effect on plant height, leaf area, grain yield, straw yield, and harvest index, but biochar plant spacing had a significant effect on tiller number. Biochar significantly enhanced plant growth (tiller number) and yield attribute traits such as panicle number and straw yield. The potential of gliricidia biochar in supporting increased growth and yield suggest its exploitation for both straw and grain yield productivity of rice in the IVS. Residual gliricidia biochar could be also exploited in future studies to determine their benefit in enhancing grain yield in IVS rice.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Land, Water and Environmental Research Centre, Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), Freetown, Sierra Leone

  • Forestry Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Freetown, Sierra Leone

  • Njala Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), Freetown, Sierra Leone

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