Reducing nitrogen fertilizer combined with biochar amendment improves soil quality and increases grain yield in the intensive rice cultivation system

Abstract

Intensive rice cultivation for a long time resulted in increasing soil degradation and less yield. This study aimed to evaluate effects of the combining reducing nitrogen fertilizer (N) with biochar amendment on soil chemical properties, rice growth parameters, and grain yield in the rice cultivation system in the Mekong Delta region, Vietnam (VMD). Field experiment was designed in the split-plot design with two factors, including N fertilizer (main plot) and biochar (sub-plot). Two N fertilizer rates were: (N50)—50 kg N ha–1 and (N100)—100 kg N ha–1, which is the farmer's practice. Biochar was amended with three rates: no applied biochar (B0), 5 t ha–1 (B5), and 10 t ha–1 (B10). The results indicated that reducing N fertilizer by 50% combined 5–10 t biochar ha–1 resulted in maintaining soil pH, soil electrical conductivity, soil organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, and rice biomass. Applying biochar at a rate of 5–10 t ha–1 significantly increased the available N, available P, and rice height compared to the treatment with no applied biochar (B0). Rice yield in the treatments applied with 5–10 t ha–1 was significantly higher than the treatment without the use of biochar by 11.6–14.7%. The findings of this study confirmed that reducing 50% N fertilizer combined with 5 t ha–1 or 10 t ha–1 of biochar could improve soil available N, available P, rice growth, and grain yield in intensive rice cultivation systems in the VMD region.