UTILIZATION OF BIOCHAR IN THE PRODUCTION OF CASSAVA (MANIHOT ESCULENTA) GROWN IN CLAYEY SOIL

Marcela  S. Icalla,; Christian  B. Apostol,

UTILIZATION OF BIOCHAR IN THE PRODUCTION OF CASSAVA (MANIHOT ESCULENTA) GROWN IN CLAYEY SOIL

Abstract:

Just like other root crops, cassava demands a growing media that provide superior growing conditions. For this matter, a compacted clayey soil needs to improve its physical and chemical characteristics to be suitable for root crop production. Thus, this study examined the combine effect of biochar from different feedstock and organic fertilizer in the growth and yield of two cassava variety planted in compacted clayey soil. A 3x3x2 factorial experiment in RCBD was used and each treatment combinations were replicated three times. It was found out that both rice hull and twigs (Factor A) biochar improved the growth and yield of cassava. On Factor B, three types of organic fertilizer have comparative effect on the growth but have significant variation on yield of crops. Factor C shown that Rajah 4 has bigger stem, bigger and longer roots, and more leaves produced while Lakan 1 has more stems and roots per plant produced. Data revealed no statistical variation on weight of harvested roots. The result of this study showed that amelioration of biochar from rice hull with combination of chicken dung as fertilizer improved the yield of Lakan 1.