Evaluating Slow Pyrolysis of Parthenium hysterophorus Biochar: Perspectives to Acidic Soil Amelioration and Growth of Selected Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Varieties

Table 3

Effect of P. hysterophorus biochar amounts (n = 6) and years (n = 2) on the soil texture and SMC of acidic soils (mean ± SD).

Soil	Soil sample	Parthenium biochar rates						LSD
Parameters	Years	PB0%; 0 t/ha	PB5.33%; 12.5 t/ha	PB8.0%; 16 t/ha	PB10.67%; 19.5 t/ha	PB13.3%; 23 t/ha	PB 16%; 26.5 t/ha
Sand	First year	60.61 ± 0.6^a	57.6 ± 0.6^c	58.9 ± 0.6^bc	57.6 ± 1.1^c	57.6 ± 0.5^c	59.6 ± 0.6^a	3.0
	Second year	61.9 ± 1.1^a	57.3 ± 1.0^bc	57.3 ± 1.0^bc	56.9 ± 0.6^bc	56.6 ± 0.6^c	58.6 ± 0.6^b	0.77
	Overall	61.3 ± 1.0^a	57.5 ± 0.7^c	58.1 ± 1.1^dc	57.3 ± 0.8^c	57.1 ± 0.7^c	58.1 ± 0.9^b	0.42
Clay	First year	20.2 ± 0.00^c	23.5 ± 0.6^a	22.8 ± 1.1^ab	21.5 ± 1.1^bc	22.2 ± 0.00^ab	20.5 ± 0.6^c	3.0
	Second year	21.2 ± 1.0^c	22.5 ± 0.6^bc	23.2 ± 1.0^ab	23.2 ± 1.0^ab	22.8 ± 0.6^ab	20.8 ± 1.1^c	2.3
	Overall	20.6 ± 0.8^b	23.0 ± 0.7^a	23.0 ± 0.9^a	22.3 ± 1.3^a	22.5 ± 0.5^a	20.67 ± 0.8^b	2.3
Silt	First year	19.2 ± 0.6	18.9 ± 0.6	18.5 ± 2.0	20.9 ± 2.3	20.2 ± 0.6	19.9 ± 1.1	NS
	Second year	17.2 ± 1.1^b	20.2 ± 0.6^a	20.2 ± 1.5^a	19.9 ± 1.1^a	20.5 ± 0.00^a	20.5 ± 0.0^a	0.77
	Overall	18.2 ± 1.3^b	19.5 ± 0.9^ab	19.4 ± 1.8^ab	20.4 ± 1.7^a	20.4 ± 0.4^a	20.5 ± 0.0^a	2.2
% SMC	First year	15.8 ± 0.3^e	17.5 ± 0.4^cd	18.99 ± 0.2^bc	19.4 ± 0.8^b	20.8 ± 0.8^a	21.02 ± 0.4^a	1.98
	Second year	15.1 ± 0.2^d	17.99 ± 0.3^c	18.8 ± 0.9^c	20.1 ± 0.6^b	20.99 ± 0.4^ab	21.9 ± 0.1^a	2.61
	Overall	15.5 ± 0.5^e	17.7 ± 0.4^d	19.4 ± 0.8^c	19.8 ± 0.8^b	20.9 ± 0.6^a	21.6 ± 0.5^a	1.82

Within rows, means followed by the same letter are not significantly different ; significant at ; significant at ; NS, not significant; LSD, least significant difference; % SMC, percent soil moisture content; PB; parthenium biochar; and SD, standard deviation.