Effect of biochar and biodigester effluent on growth of maize (Zea mays) and on soil physical properties

This study investigates the effects of different levels of biochar and biodigester effluent on growth of maize (Zea mays) and on soil physical properties, in this experiment was done at Animal Science Farm of Faculty of Agriculture and Forest Resource, Souphanouvong University, Lao PDR, the experimental was designed in Complete Randomized Design and was to compared in a 5*2 factorial arrangement. The factors were: first factor: five levels of biochar at 0; 20; 30; 40 and 50kg/tone; and second factor: with or without biodigester effluent 50kg/ha, there were 10 treatments and with 10 replications of each treatment. The biomass growth of maize showed a curvilinear increase as the level of biochar was raised from 0, 20, 30, 40 and 50kg/tone, and was higher when supplemented with effluent than non-effluent. Soil properties as pH, % of organic matter (OM), % of nitrogen (N) and % of water holding capacity (WHC) were increased by increasing the levels of biochar and was higher with effluent than non-effluent.