Effect of Date Palm Biochar on the Establishment and Growth of Atriplex canescens in Sandy Loam Soil under Drought Stress

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Associate Professor, Department of Water Engineering, Faculty of Water and Soil, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran.

10.29252/aridbiom.2026.4256

Abstract

Biochar, as an organic soil amendment, plays an important role in mitigating the adverse effects of drought stress and improving plant growth in arid and semi-arid regions by enhancing the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil, increasing water-holding capacity, and improving nutrient availability. However, information regarding the optimum application rate of biochar for the establishment and growth of Atriplex canescens under water-deficit conditions remains limited. A pot experiment was conducted in a research greenhouse in Iranshahr, Iran, during 2024 to evaluate the effects of different irrigation regimes and biochar application on growth, forage yield, physiological characteristics, and root traits of Atriplex canescens. The experiment was arranged as a factorial based on a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The first factor consisted of three irrigation levels based on field capacity (60%, 80%, and 100% of field capacity), while the second factor included four biochar application rates (0, 1.25, 2.5, and 5% w/w of soil). Seeds were directly sown in pots (20 cm diameter × 30 cm height), and after 150 days, plant height, stem diameter, fresh and dry forage yield, relative leaf water content (RLWC), irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), root length, root volume, root fresh weight, root dry weight, and root-to-shoot ratio were measured. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and treatment means were compared using Duncan’s multiple range test at the 5% probability level. The results showed that both the main effects and the interaction effects of irrigation levels and biochar application were significant for all measured traits (P < 0.01). Reducing irrigation significantly decreased vegetative growth, forage yield, relative leaf water content, and root development, whereas the root-to-shoot ratio increased under water deficit conditions. Application of biochar up to 2.5% (w/w) significantly increased plant height (108.2 cm), stem diameter (26.3 mm), fresh forage yield (452.5 g pot⁻¹), dry forage yield (172.3 g pot⁻¹), relative leaf water content (91.8%), irrigation water use efficiency (3.82 g L⁻¹), root length (59.7 cm), root volume (115.5 cm³), root fresh weight (281.4 g), and root dry weight (84.5 g). However, increasing the biochar rate to 5% resulted in a decline in most measured traits. Interaction analysis revealed that the highest growth and forage production were obtained under 100% field capacity combined with 2.5% biochar, whereas the highest irrigation water use efficiency was achieved under 80% field capacity combined with 2.5% biochar. Therefore, the application of 2.5% biochar combined with irrigation at 80% of field capacity is recommended as the optimum treatment for sustainable forage production of Atriplex canescens in arid and semi-arid regions.

Keywords

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References

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Journal of Arid Biome
Volume 16, Issue 1
March 2026
Pages 71-90

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