Long-term effects of biochar application on the wheat yield and nutrient uptake on Fluvisol
Maya Benkova, Irena Atanassova, Lyuba Nenova, Еmiliya Еlenova
Abstract: A field experiment with an indicator wheat crop in 2022 was carried out on Fluvisol, in the experimental field of “Nikola Poushkarov” Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection, of the village of Tsalapitsa (Plovdiv region). Variants were set with two rates of biochar (5 and 10 t.ha-1) and nitrogen fertiliser (130 and 260 kg.ha-1) in 2019 and 2020, and are left for observation to determine the aftereffect of biochar. The purpose of this study was to assess the yield of wheat, the uptake of macronutrients with biomass and some soil characteristics on the 3rd and 4th year following application of biochar and nitrogen fertilizer. Plant samples were taken in the full maturity phase of wheat in three replications, and the concentrations of N, P, K, Ca and Mg were determined.
The obtained results show that the time of biochar application has a significant effect on the yield of wheat, a higher yield was reported by the variants when biochar was applied at the 3rd year. For the B(3)5N130 and B(3)10N260 variants, the increase was 12% and 13% compared to controls. The data showed that biochar residing in soil at two rates (5 and 10 t/ha) for four years, had no significant effect on wheat yield, growth, macronutrient uptake and soil nutrient content compared to the control variants. However, the more pronounced effect of biochar aftereffect was observed on the physicochemical characteristics (pH, CEC and OC) at the 3rd and 4th year compared to the control in the variants with the lower nitrogen rate and the higher levels of biochar.
Keywords: after-effect of biochar; macroelements; nitrogen fertilizer; wheat
Citation: Benkova, M., Atanassova, I., Nenova, L. & Еlenova, E. (2026). Long-term effects of biochar application on the wheat yield and nutrient uptake on Fluvisol. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 32(1), 68–76
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| Date published: 2026-02-25
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