Denisia Whyte, Leslie Simpson & Chetwynd Osborne (2024)
View PDF Published: 2024-12-05
Denisia Whyte ✉️, National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, Guyana
Denisia Whyte, Leslie Simpson, Chetwynd Osborne. Department of Environmental Studies. Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Guyana – Turkeyen Campus. Greater Georgetown, Guyana
https://doi.org/10.52377/PZWQ1209
Abstract
The presence of marginal or degraded soils across the hinterland regions of Guyana has stymied efforts to expand agriculture. Charcoal can be used as an organic soil amendment to improve soil quality and agricultural productivity. In a greenhouse study, four charcoal (derived from Dimorphandra conjugate Splitg.) application rates of 0, 10, 20 and 30 t/ha were used to amend Tabela sand (acidic and infertile soil from the intermediate savannahs of Guyana). Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce) was used as an indicator crop to evaluate the optimum charcoal application rate for plant growth when inoculated with an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), Rhizophorus irregularis. Evidence from this study showed that as charcoal application rates increased, root length, yield of lettuce, root colonisation and the abundance of AMF spores increased. Soil pH, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity and water holding capacity increased significantly (p < .05), while soil bulk density and exchangeable acidity showed marked decrease as charcoal application rates increased. In addition, considerable increases were observed in total nitrogen, and available phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese and zinc. In contrast, notable decreases were observed for available iron and copper, also. Therefore, charcoal amended Tabela sand in combination with AMF has the potential to increase the productivity of soils.
Keywords: Soil amendment, charcoal, Rhizophorus irregularis, Lactuca sativa L.
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