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Article summary:
1. This pot study investigated the effects of cotton stick, corncob and rice straw biochars alone and with farmyard manure (FYM) on tomato growth, soil physico–chemical and biological characteristics, soil organic carbon (SOC) content and amount of soil nutrients under recommended mineral fertilizer conditions in a nutrient-depleted alkaline soil.
2. Biochars were developed at 450 °C pyrolysis temperature and varied in total organic C, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) contents. The results showed that biochars, their amounts and FYM significantly improved tomato growth which varied strongly among the biochar types, amounts and FYM.
3. Biochars with and without FYM significantly increased soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The water-extractable organic C (WEOC) and soil organic C (SOC) contents increased significantly with biochar amount and FYM. Microbial biomass C (MBC), N (MBN) and P (MBP) were the highest in corncob biochar treated soils followed by cotton stick and rice straw biochars.
Article analysis:
The article “Evaluating the Effects of Biochar with Farmyard Manure under Optimal Mineral Fertilizing on Tomato Growth, Soil Organic C and Biochemical Quality in a Low Fertility Soil” is an informative piece that provides an overview of the effects of different types of biochar amendments on tomato growth as well as soil physico-chemical properties such as pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity etc., when applied to a nutrient-depleted alkaline soil along with farmyard manure. The article is written by four authors from various universities who are experts in their respective fields which adds to its credibility. The article also includes detailed information about the methodology used for the experiment which makes it easier for readers to understand how the results were obtained. Furthermore, all sources used for data collection are properly cited throughout the article which adds to its trustworthiness.
However, there are some points that could be improved upon in order to make this article more reliable. Firstly, while the authors have discussed various positive effects of biochar amendments on tomato growth as well as soil properties such as pH, EC etc., they have not discussed any potential risks associated with using these amendments or any possible negative impacts they may have on the environment or human health if used excessively or inappropriately. Secondly, while discussing different types of biochar amendments used in this experiment such as cotton stick, corncob etc., there is no mention of how these materials were sourced or whether they were sustainably produced or not which could be important information for readers to consider before using them themselves. Lastly, while discussing different types of biochar amendments used in this experiment such as cotton stick etc., there is no mention of how these materials were processed before being added to the soil which could affect their effectiveness when applied to soils with different characteristics than those tested here.
In conclusion, this article provides an informative overview of how different types of biochar amendments can improve tomato growth as well as various physico-chemical properties when applied to a nutrient-depleted alkaline soil along with farmyard manure; however it does lack some important information regarding potential risks associated with using these amendments or how they were sourced/processed before being added to soils which could affect their effectiveness when applied elsewhere than what was tested here.