Effect of Biochar, Azotobacter and Mycorrhizal Symbiosis on Yield, Nutrient Content and Phytochemical Properties of Flue-Cured Tobacco (Nicotiana Tabacum L.)

بوم شناسی کشاورزی

Article 10, Volume 14, Issue 2 - Serial Number 52, June 2022, Pages 345-361   

Document Type: Scientific - Research

DOI: 10.22067/agry.2021.68371.1013

Authors

Ramin Mesbah¹; Mohammad reza Ardakani^{* 2}; Ali Moghaddam³; Farnaz Rafiei¹

¹Department of Agronomy, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

²Department of Agronomy, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran.

³Seed and Plant Improvement Institute (SPII), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
In tobacco, chemical fertilizers are used to achieve the desired yield like other crops. In recent years, with the aim of maintaining soil fertility, improving physical and chemical properties, and creating a balance in environmental factors, the use of biofertilizers and compounds such as biochar has been considered in line with the goals of sustainable agriculture. Biochar improves soil's physical and chemical properties, increases microbial activity, and provides microorganisms with carbon, energy, and mineral elements. The positive effects of using biochar with some beneficial microorganisms can be intensified. In some studies, the effect of biochar on the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the positive effects of these in increasing yield have been reported. Mycorrhizal fungi can be considered a suitable solution to improve the plant's nutritional status by absorbing nutrients and more water, decomposing soil organic matter and improving the growth and development of host plants. Mycorrhizal fungi can increase water uptake by entering very small pores that even the plant roots cannot penetrate. Applying other useful soil organisms such as Azotobacter in tobacco fields due to its ability to dissolve phosphates and produce vitamins can improve plant growth and development. Considering that no research has been done in Iran on tobacco production without chemical fertilizers, in this study, the possibility of economic production of tobacco using biofertilizers and modifying compounds such as biochar is evaluated.
 
Materials and Methods
This experiment was carried out as a factorial based 3×2×2 on randomized complete block design including biochar (B) at three levels (0, 4, and 8 ton/ha), mycorrhiza (M), and Azotobacter (A) at two levels (without and with application) with four replications. The seedling roots of Azotobacter-containing treatments were inoculated ten days before transplanting. Also, mycorrhiza inoculum was mixed with the soil bed in a ratio of 1 to 10. The biochar was also distributed manually on the surface of the plots and mixed with field soil by a disc. The total weight of four picks of each experimental plot was calculated as fresh yield and after curing as dry plot yield. The leaf nitrogen content was measured by the Kjeldahl method, phosphorus was measured by spectrophotometer, and the amount of absorbable potassium was measured by reading potassium ions by flame photometer. Phillips and Hayman's (1970) method was used to calculate the mycorrhizal symbiosis of the root. The nicotine and sugar content was determined using the standard method Nos. 35 and 38 of the world organization of Corseta.
 
Results and Discussion
Application of 4 ton/ha biochar increased fresh yield by 11%, cured yield by 12%, the leaf nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content by 13, 20, and 15%, respectively, and leaf nicotine and sugar content by 18 and 24% compared to zero level. The leaf nitrogen enhanced by increasing biochar consumption level. The highest amount of leaf nitrogen was obtained at the B8. The same trend was observed in leaf phosphorus content. But in terms of potassium content, the lowest amount was obtained at B0 with 2.6% and the highest at B4 with 3%. Application of mycorrhiza inoculum increased the fresh and dry yield by 6%. The positive results of this study in the simultaneous use of biochar and mycorrhiza and Azotobacter on the mycorrhizal symbiosis can be due to the positive effect of biochar in increasing the activity of other microorganisms such as mycorrhiza or reducing the negative effects of harmful chemical compounds in soil. In this study, although using Azotobacter increased the leaf yield, this increase was not significant. Also, the Azotobacter application had a positive and significant effect on nicotine content and increased it by 32%. The application of Azotobacter can be a desirable solution to increase tobacco nicotine content.
 
Conclusion
Due to the lack of significant differences between 4 and 8 tons per hectare of biochar on the evaluated traits in terms of economic aspects, the use of 4 tons per hectare of biochar along with the use of mycorrhiza and Azotobacter to achieve acceptable yield while maintaining chemical quality in tobacco farms is recommended.
 
 
 

Keywords

Biofertilizer; Soil modifier; Yield; Nicotine

References

Aslam, Z., Khalid, M., and Aon, M., 2014. Impact of biochar on soil physical properties. Scholarly Journal of Agricultural Science 4(5): 280-284.

Azeem, M., Hayat, R., Hussain, Q., Ahmed, M., Imran, M., and Crowley, D., 2016. Effect of biochar amendment on soil microbial biomass, abundance, and enzyme activity in the mash bean field. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences 8: 1-13.

Berek, A.K., Hue, N., and Ahmad, A., 2011. Beneficial use of biochar to correct soil acidity. The Food Provider. Available at Website http:// www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/huen/nvh/biochar.

Blackwell, P., Krull, E., Butler, G., Herbert, A., and Solaiman, Z., 2010. Effect of banded biochar on dryland wheat production and fertiliser use in south-western Australia: an agronomic and economic perspective. Australian Journal of Soil Research 48: 531-545.

 CORESTA, 1994a. CORESTA recommended method No 35. Determination of total alkaloids (as nicotine) in tobacco by continuous flow analysis. Available from: https://www.coresta.org/sites/default/files/technical_documents/main/CRM_35-update (Aug10).pdf

CORESTA., 1994b. CORESTA recommended method No 38. Determination of reducing carbohydrates in tobacco by continuous flow analysis. Available from: https://www.coresta.org/sites/default/files/technical_documents/main/CRM_38-update (Aug10).pdf

Feng, G., Zang, F., Lix, S., Tian, C.Y., and Tang, C., 2002. Rengelz Improved tolerance of maize plants to salt stress by arbuscular mycorrhiza is related to higher accumulation of soluble sugars in roots. Mycorrhiza 12: 90-185.

Fritz, C., Palacios-Rojas, N., Feil, R., and Still, M., 2006. Regulation of secondary metabolism buy the Carbon-nitrogen status in tobacco: nitrate inhibits large sectors of phenylpropanoid metabolism. 2006. The Plant Journal 46: 533-548. 

Gartler, J., Robinson, B., Burton, K., and Clucas, L., 2013. Carbonaceous soil amendments to biofortify crop plants with zinc. Science of the Total Environment 465: 308–313.

 Gaskin, J.W., Speir, R.A., Harris, K., Das, K.C., Lee, R.D., Morris, L.A. and Fisher, D.S., 2010. Effect of peanut hull and pine chip biochar on soil nutrients, corn nutrient status, and yield. Agronomy Journal 102: 623-633.

Hammer, E.C., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Jakobsen, I., Olsson, P.A., Stipp, S.L.S. and Rilling, M.C., 2014. A mycorrhizal fungus grows on biochar and captures phosphorus from its surfaces. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 77: 252-260.

Jiangzhou, L., Sigui, J., Limeng, Z., and Qingzhong, Z., 2016. Effects of biochar on soil quality and tobacco growthduring four years of consecutive application. Institute of Enviromental and Sustainable Development in Agriculture. Chinese Agricultural Science APPOST 16.

Kim, Y., Oh, J., Vithanage, M., Park, Y.K., Lee, J., and Kwon, E.E., 2019. Modification of biochar properties using CO₂. Chemical Engineering Journal 372: 383-389.

Kristina, G., and Miroslav, Č., 2019. Effect of topping height and ripeness on quality of flue-cured tobacco varieties. Journal of Central European Agriculture 20(3): 841-851.

Laird, D., Fleming, P., Wang, B.Q., Horton, R., and Karlen, D., 2010. Biochar impact on nutrient leaching from a Midwestern agricultural soil. Geoderma 158: 436-442.

Lakziyan, A., Sheibani, S., Bahadoriyan, M., and Shaddel, L., 2004. The soil microbiology. Sokhan gostar publishers, Mashhad, Iran. p. 555. (In Persian)

Lin, G., Rui, W., Guoming, S., Jixu, Z., Guixing, M., and Jiguang, Z., 2017. Effects of biochar on nutrients and the microbial community structure of tobacco-planting soils. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 17(4): 884-896.

Liu, T., Liu, B., and Zhang, W., 2014. Nutrients and heavy metals in biochar produced by sewage sludge pyrolysis: its application in soil amendment. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 23(1): 271-275.

Maw, B.W., Stansell, J.R., and Stansell, B.G., 2009. Soil-plant-water relationships for flue-cured tobacco. The University of Georgia, Cooperative Extension. Research Bulletin 427: 1-36.

McCormack, S.A., Ostle, N., Bardgett, R.D., Hopkins, D.W., and Vanbergen, A.J., 2013. Biochar in bioenergy cropping systems: Impacts on soil faunal communities and linked ecosystem processes. GCB Bioenergy 5: 81–95.

Mickan, B.S., Abbott, L.K., Stefanova, K., and Solaiman, Z.M., 2016. Interactions between biochar and mycorrhizal fungi in a water-stressed agricultural soil. Mycorrhiza 26: 565-574.

Mrkovacki, N., and Milic, V., 2001. Use of Azotobacter chroococcum as potential useful in agricultural application. Ann. Microbiol 51: 145-158.

Mukherjee, A., Lal, R., and Zimmerman, A.R., 2014. Effects of biochar and other amendments on the physical properties and greenhouse gas emissions of an artificially degraded soil. Science of the Total Environment 487: 26-36.

Narula, N., Kumar, V., Behl, R.K., Deubel, A., Gransee, A., and Merbach, W., 2000. Effect of P-solubilizing Azotobacter chroococcum on N, P and K uptake in P-responsive wheat genotypes grown under greenhouse conditions. Journal of Plant Nutrition 163: 393-398.

Phillips, J.M., and Hayman, D.S., 1970. Improved procedures for clearing roots and staining parasitic and vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for rapid assessment of infection. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 55: 158-161.

Pringle, A., Bever, J.D., Gardes, M., Parrent, J.L., Rilling, M.C., and Klironomos, J.N., 2009. Mycorrhizal symbioses and plant invasions. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 40: 699–715.

Ruiz-Lozano, J.M., Porcel, R., Bárzana, G., Azcón, R., and Aroca, R., 2012. Contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis to plant drought mycorrhiza (2016) 26: 565–574 tolerance: state of the art. In: Aroca, R (Ed.), Plant Responses to Drought Stress Springer, Berlin 335–362.

Shang, X., Shang, Y., Fu, J., and Zhang, T., 2017. Nicotine significantly improves chronic stress-induced impairments of cognition and synaptic plasticity in mice. Mol Neurobiol 54: 4644-4658.

Solaiman, Z.M., Blackwell, P., Abbott, L.K., and Storer, P. 2010. Direct and residual effect of biochar application on mycorrhizal root colonization, growth and nutrition of wheat. Australian Journal of Soil Research 48: 546–554.

Song, H., 2005. Effects of VAM on host plant in condition of drought stress and its mechanisms. Electronic Journal of Biology 1(3): 44-48.

Suliman, W., Harsh, J.B., Abu-Lail, N.I., Fortun, A.M., Dallmeyer, I., and GarciaPérez, M., 2017. The role of biochar porosity and surface functionality in augmenting hydrologic properties of a sandy soil. Science of the Total Environment 574: 139–147.

Taffouo, V.D., Ngwene, B., Akoa, A., and Franken, P., 2013. Influence of phosphorus application and arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation on growth, foliar nitrogen mobilization, and phosphorus partitioning in cowpea plants. Mycorrhiza 24: 361–368.

Tayyab, M., Islam, W.F., Khalil, P., Ziqin, Z., Caifang, Y., Arafat, L., Hui, M., Rizwan, K., Ahmad, H., and Waheed, S., 2018. Biochar: An efcient way to manage low water availability in plants. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 16(3): 2565–2583.

Tilak, K.V.B.R., Ranganayaki, N., Pal, K.K., De, R., Saxena, A.K., Shekhar Nautiyal, C., Mittal, S., Tripathi, A.K., and Johri, B.N., 2005. Diversity of plant growth and soil health supporting bacteria. Current Science 89: 136-150.

Tisdall, J.M., 1991. Fungal hyphae and structural stability of soil. Australian Journal of Soil Research 29(6): 729-743.

Tso, T.C., 2005. Production, physiology and biochemistry of tobacco plant. Institute of international development and education in agricultural and life sciences, New York, USA. 393 p.

Warnock, D.D., Lehmann, J., Kuyper, T.W., and Rilling, M.C., 2007. Mycorrhizal responses to biochar in soil–concepts and mechanisms. Plant and Soil 300: 9-20.

Warnock, D.D., Mummeya, D.L., McBride, B., Major, J., Lehmann, J., and Rilling, M.C., 2010. Influences of nonherbaceous biochar on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal abundances in roots and soils: results from growth chamber and field experiments. Applied Soil Ecology 46: 450–456.

Weybrew, J.A., Wan Ismail, W.A., and Long, R.C., 1983. The cultural management of flue-cured tobacco quality. Tobacco Science 27: 56–61.

Widowati, W.H., 2012. The effect of biochar on the growth and N fertilizer requirement of Maize (Zea mays) in green house experiment. Journal of Agricultural Science 4(5): 256-262.

Xu, C-Y., Hosseini-Bai, S., Hao, Y., Rachaputi, R.C.N., Wang, H., Xu, Z., and Wallace, H., 2015. Effect of biochar amendment on yield and photosynthesis of peanut on two types of soils. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International 22: 6112–6125.

Yaghoby, M., Amerian, M., and Asghar, H., 2014. Comparison of the effect of biological and biofertilized fertilizers on some physiological traits in bean growing. The 2^nd National Conference of the Desert with the Approach of the Management of Arid and Desert Areas. Semnan University, Iran. (In Persian)

Zhang, A., Cui, L., Pan, G., Li, L., Hussain, Q., Zhang, X., Zheng, J., and Crowley, D., 2010. Effect of biochar amendment on yield and methane and nitrous oxide emissions from a rice paddy from Tai Lake plain, China. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 139: 469-475.

Zhang, J., Zhang, Z.F., Shen, G.M., Wang, Gao, R.L., Dai, Y.C., Zha, T., and Zhang, J.G., 2016. Tobacco growth responses and soil properties to rice-straw biochar applied on yellow-brown soil in central China. International Conference on Energy Development and Environmental Protection (EDEP 2016) ISBN: 978-1-60595-360-1. 439 North Duke Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17602 USA.

Zhao, X.R., Li, D., Kong, J., and Lin, Q.M., 2014. Does biochar addition influence the change points of soil phosphorus leaching? Journal of Integrative Agriculture 13: 499–506.