Project

Biochar as soil conditioner for sustainable management of coconut plantations in Sri Lanka: effects on micorrhizae and growth-promoting bacteria

Code

01W04017

Duration

01 October 2017 → 30 September 2021

Funding

Regional and community funding: Special Research Fund

Promotor

Steven Sleutel

Fellow

Gertrude Scynthya Nirukshan

Research disciplines

Natural sciences
- Applied mathematics in specific fields
- Geophysics
- Physical geography and environmental geoscience
- Other earth sciences
- Aquatic sciences, challenges and pollution
- Soil sciences, challenges and pollution
Engineering and technology
- Geomatic engineering
Agricultural and food sciences
- Agricultural animal production
- Agricultural plant production
- Agriculture, land and farm management
- Other agriculture, forestry, fisheries and allied sciences

Keywords

biochar pyrolyzed organic matter soil microbial community mycorrhizae coconut Sri Lanka

Project description

This project aims to test if soil amendment of pyrolysed rice and gliricidia residues exert beneficial effects on growth of coconut trees in by enhancing nutrient availability. Focus is on biomass and activity of arbuscular micorrhizae and plant-growth promoting rhizo-bacteria in a Sri Lankan plantation field trial and by means of pot experiments (FBE-UGent).