Utilization of the trash biochar and waste of sugarcane to improve the quality of sandy soil and growth of sugarcane

Abstract

An abundance of sugarcane trash (ST) can be converted into soil amendment to improve soil quality. Pot research was carried out in Malang, East Java from October 2013 to October 2014. The research aimed to study changes in the properties of sand-textured soil due to the application of trash biochar and other sugarcane wastes, as well as its effect on sugarcane growth. The study was arranged in a randomized block design with six treatments and three replications. Treatment includes: 1) ST biochar 10 t ha-1; 2) boiler ash 10 t ha-1; 3) ST compost 10 t ha-1; 4) ST biochar 5 t ha-1 + ST compost 5 t ha-1; 5) boiler ash 5 t ha-1 + ST compost 5 t ha-1; and 6) control (without soil amendment). The treatments improved the physical and chemical properties of sandy soil, namely bulk density, total porosity, available moisture content, aggregate stability, organic-C, total-N, available-P, exchangeable-K, and CEC. However, the improvement of this soil did not affect the growth and yield of sugarcane. Further research is needed to study the effect of residues from the application of biochar on ratoon sugarcane, and research on sugarcane development land.