Enhanced Growth of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in Soil Amended with Biochar and Fulvic acid

Abstract

Biochar (BC) and fulvic acid (FA) have raised wide interest because of their multiple benefits in soil improvement. However, the difference between individual and co-application of biochar and fulvic acid on okra growth in salt-affected soils is unknown. In this study, a woody waste derived BC and a commercial FA were applied into a coastal salt-affected soil collected from the Yellow River Delta to investigate their effects on a commercial crop, okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) seedling growth following the individual and combined applications using a pot experiment. The results showed the individual and co-application of BC and FA increased the plant height, stem diameter and fresh biomass by 9.4-11.5%, 10.3-41.7% and 31.6- 40.0%, respectively, and individual application posed a better performance than co-application. Moreover, BC and FA individual and combined application could effectively improve the root growth of okra, whereas the individual application posed a greater effect. These findings would provide theoretical basis and technical support for developing green technologies for remediating degraded coastal wetland soils, thus ensuring sustainable agricultural development.