The Effects of Biochar Made by Oaks on the Growth and Seedling Quality Index of Prunus sargentii in a Containerized Production System

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of biochar mixed ratios made by oaks on the growth and quality index of Prunus sargentii seedlings in a containerized seedling production system. We treated biochar made by oak charcoal with 10% and 20% volume ratio of the artificial soil including the untreated control and applied two levels of 0.5 and 1.0 g/L fertilization treatments. Generally, growth parameters including height, root collar diameter, and dry weight were decreased by biochar treatments and there were no fertilization effects. However, 10% biochar treatment significantly increased quality index by 26% compared to that of control. Our results suggested the oak charcoal, a kind of biochar, can be substituted up to 10% of the artificial soil in the containerized P. sargentii seedling production system and expect to increase the survival rate in the beginning of the plantation.