Production of Biochar from Selected Plant Residues and the Effects of its Application on the Growth of Mansonia altissima (A. Chev.) A. Chev-FWTA Seedlings

Abstract

Biochar is a fine-grained charcoal high in organic carbon and largely resistant to decomposition, it is produced from pyrolysis of plant and waste feedstock. The study is aimed at producing biochars from selected plant residues and to assess the effects of its application on the growth of Mansonia altissima seedlings. Three plants residues were used to make biochar, which were bamboo, cassava peel and weeds, and they were grounded into powdery form, mixed with topsoil and degraded soil. The experiment was made up of four treatments, 2kg of topsoil (T0, control), 50g of biochar made of weeds + 2kg of degraded soil (T1), 50g of biochar from cassava peel
+ 2kg of degraded soil (T2), 50g of biochar made of bamboo + 2kg of degraded soil (T3). The data collected was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The result obtained showed that T2 performed best in height with a value of 23.4cm, while T0 had the least performance in height with a value of 13.88cm. T2 performed best witha value of 6.8mm, while T0 had the least performance in stem diameter with a value of 4.8mm. T2 also performed best in terms of leaf production with a value of 10.2 while T1had the least performance with a value of 8.8. The ANOVA result showed that there were no significant differences among the treatments at 5% level of probability. It can be concluded that biochar made from cassava peel, produce healthy seedlings in a short period of time.