Biochar and/or Compost Applications Improve Soil Properties, Growth, and Yield of Maize Grown in Acidic Rainforest and Coastal Savannah Soils in Ghana

Table 6

Effects of biochar and/or compost applications on the plant growth performance of maize crop (local and improved varieties) grown on the Cape Coast soil over 40-day period.

Treatment rate	Dry matter (g)		Number of leaves		Plant height (cm)		Stem girth (mm)
	Improved variety	Local variety	Improved variety	Local variety	Improved variety	Local variety	Improved variety	Local variety
BC	193.5b	1.82a	10.33b	3.00a	139.3b	20.33a	18.50b	5.93a
B0	288.2bc	97.10c	11.00b	9.67c	170.3c	104.67c	21.00b	17.17c
C20	386.5c	66.73bc	10.67b	6.33b	191.0c	78.67b	25.33c	12.00b
B20	36.4a	28.94ab	5.33a	6.33b	82.7a	78.67b	12.83a	12.00b
LSD, 0.05	99.5	62.33	2.49	1.33	21.07	20.02	3.32	4.97
F. Pr.	<0.001	0.03	0.00	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.01

B0 = control with no amendments; B20 = biochar 2%, w/w; C20 = compost 2%, w/w; BC = combined biochar and compost rate 1% compost + 1% biochar; LSD = least significant difference at 0.05. Means with different letters differ significantly at and with same letters do not differ significantly.