Effects of charcoal addition on spring wheat : a greenhouse study

Abstract

Abstract: In this thesis I have investigated if addition of charcoal to the soil improves the growth and yield of spring wheat. My thesis is based on an experimental greenhouse study in which different amounts of charcoal were added to a nutrient poor sandy soil. The experiment included five charcoal treatments, i.e. a control (no addition of charcoal) and additions of 0.63, 6.30, 12.60, and 25.20 g charcoal per pot, which corresponds to 150, 1500, 3000 and 6000 g charcoal m-2. The spring wheat was mature for harvest after 68 days growth in the greenhouse and I divided the plants in different parts when they were harvested. Roots, stems, leaves and spikes were dried and weighed separately in order to estimate plant production and biomass allocation patterns. My results show that charcoal addition significantly impact on biomass allocation patterns and has positive effects on the production of spring wheat. However, there was no clear dosage effect in how the plants responded on the charcoal additions, which indicates that rather low dosages of additions may be considered when using charcoal in agricultural systems in an applied and practical perspective.