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As a multi-beneficial amendment, biochar is very useful to be applied for improving soil health and crop productivity. Therefore, this study was carried out to assess the influence of wood biochar and mineral nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilisers viz, [(control; 100% NPK (120:90:60 kg ha−1); 75% NPK + 5 tonne biochar; 50% NPK + 10 tonne biochar; 25% NPK + 15 tonne biochar and 20 tonne biochar ha−1)] on wheat yield and soil properties under different management practices [(raised bed (more than 30 cm above the ground) and flat-bed)]. Split plot two factors randomised completed block (RCB) design with three replications were used where management practices were placed to main plot, while treatments were assigned to subplots. Maximum spike length, grain per spike, 1000 grain weight, grain and biological yield were obtained with application of 75% NPK + 5 tonne biochar ha−1 under both raised and flat-bed, which were statistically at par to 50% NPK + 10 tonne biochar ha−1. The grain and biological yield observed at 75% NPK + 5 tonne biochar and 50% NPK + 10 tonne biochar ha−1 were significantly higher than that of 20 tonne biochar ha−1. However, maximum soil organic matter, extractable P and K contents with slight increases in soil pH and EC was observed at 20 tonne biochar ha−1. Moreover, almost all agronomic parameters were significantly better in raised bed compared to flat-bed sowing. Hence, the present study suggested that 75% NPK + 5 tonne biochar ha−1 is suitable for improving wheat yield and soil properties.

Phosphorus (P) is the most deficient nutrient in agricultural soils after nitrogen. Additionally, exogenously applied P quickly transforms into less soluble compounds through various chemo-sorption...

Boron (B) deficiency is a widespread problem in alkaline soils which affects yield and quality of potato but is often ignored by the growers. That’s why, we compared the impact of different methods of boron application (foliar spray, fertigation and soil dressing) along with control on boron use efficiency (BUE), quality and yield of potato in alkaline soils. Boron (0.5 kg ha-1) applied as a foliar spray had significantly increased plant height, tuber per plant, tuber volume and enhanced the quality in terms of vitamin C, starch and B content of potato compared to other methods. Moreover, foliar applied B significantly improved B uptake and it use efficiency over other application methods. B concentration in tubers were strongly correlated with vitamin C and starch contents. The application methods were ranked as foliar spray>fertigation>soil dressing in term of their effectiveness towards potato yield and quality improvement. Thus, for optimum production of good quality potato, B should be applied as foliar spray at the rate of 0.5 kg B ha-1 in existing agro-climatic conditions.

In calcareous soils, wheat productivity is much lower due to improper nutrient management, especially phosphorus (P). Therefore, this study was conducted to manage P availability from various organic (Control, FYM and Sugar cane straw applied at the rate of 10 ton ha−1) and inorganic (Control, 100% rock phosphate (RP), 50% acidulated RP, 100% acidulated RP, single super phosphate (SSP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP)) sources applied at the rate of 90 kg P2O5 ha−1 in calcareous soil while using wheat as test crop. When averaged across the organic sources, SSP performed better in emergence m−2 (126), tillers m−2 (431), spikes m−2 (419), grains spikes−1 (61), plant height (95.1 cm), 1000-GW (40 g), biological yield (11,023 kg ha−1), grain yield (4022 kg ha−1), phosphorus use efficiency (10.5%), phosphorus in leaves at tillering (2.63 mg kg−1) and anthesis stage (2.50 mg kg−1), soil P at heading (1.73 mg kg−1) and post-harvest stage (1.56 mg kg−1) compared to the rest of the mineral sources. Similarly, among the organic sources, FYM performed better than others for all tested traits. Integration of inorganic P sources with organic manures further improved crop performance and post-harvest soil P content. Therefore, using 10 tons FYM ha−1 in integration to SSP or 100% acidulated RP at the rate of 90 kg P2O5 ha−1 is recommended for ensuring optimum wheat productivity under calcareous soils.

A field study was conducted on the reuse of wastewater from Mardan city to evaluate its risk of contaminating soil and wheat grains at different NPK levels. Three irrigation sources i.e. waste water (WW), canal water (CW) and alternate waste + canal water (WW+CW) were applied to wheat (cv Atta Habib 2010) grown at 0, 50, 75 and 100% NPK levels of 120:90:60 kg N:P2O5:K2O ha-1 at Palatoo Research Farm, Amir Muhammad Khan Campus, Mardan during 2015.The results showed higher grain and biomass yields in WW irrigated plots as compared to CW at NPK levels up to 50% of recommending dose revealing supplementing nutrient requirements in deficient conditions. However, irrigation of WW at higher NPK levels especially at or beyond 75% of recommended dose tended to reduce the crop yield that could be associated with heavy metals toxicity and nutritional imbalances. The use of WW substantially increased AB-DTPA extractable Zn, Mn, Pb, Ni and Cd indicating a potential threat to soil contamination. Similarly, WW irrigated wheat had higher concentrations of these heavy metals as compared to CW which limits its use for production purposes without any remediation measures. The alternate use of CW and WW as revealed by its comparative lower contamination in soil and wheat than sole WW could be one of the possible solutions and may increase the time required for threshold soil contamination.

Management of inorganic fertilizer is very important to obtain maximum crop yield and improved nutrient use efficiency in cereal crops. Fixation of phosphatic fertilizers in alkaline soils due to calcareousness is one of the major hurdles. It induces phosphorus nutritional stress that can decrease the yield of maize and wheat. Selection of a suitable application method and proper stage of crop for phosphorus (P) fertilizer has prime importance in better uptake of P and crop production. Among different application methods, soil and foliar application are widely adopted. In wheat and maize, knee height + tasseling and stem elongation + booting are critical stages towards P deficiency. That is why field trials were conducted to evaluate the supplemental effect of foliar P on maize and wheat yields. For that, 144 mM KH2PO4 was applied as foliar at knee height + tasseling and stem elongation + boot stages in maize and wheat, respectively. Soil application of 0, 20, 40 and 60 kg P ha&minus, 1 was done through broadcast and band methods. Results showed that foliar spray of 144 mM KH2PO4 at knee height + tasseling and stem elongation + boot stages in wheat and maize significantly enhanced grains yield and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) where P was applied as banding or broadcast at the time of sowing. A significant decreasing trend in response to increasing soil P levels validated the efficacious role and suitability of foliar P. In conclusion, the use of P as foliar at knee height + tasseling and stem elongation + boot stages is an efficacious way to manage P fertilizer.

A research study was established at the research farm of the University of Agriculture, Peshawar during winter 2018&ndash, 2019. Commercial biochars were given to the experimental site from 2014 to summer 2018 and received 0.95, 130 and 60 tons ha&minus, 1 of biochar by various treatments viz., (Biochar1) BC1, (Biochar2) BC2, (Biochar3) BC3 and (Biochar4) BC4, respectively. This piece of work was conducted within the same study to find the long-term influence of biochar on the fertility of the soil, fixation of N2, as well as the yie1d of chickpea under a mung&ndash, chickpea cropping system. A split plot arrangement was carried out by RCBD (Randomized Complete Block Design) to evaluate the study. Twenty-five kilograms of N ha&minus, 1 were given as a starter dosage to every plot. Phosphorous and potassium were applied at two levels (half (45:30 kg ha&minus, 1) and full (90:60 kg ha&minus, 1) recommended doses) to each of the four biochar treatments. The chickpea crop parameters measured were the numbers and masses of the nodules, N2 fixation and grain yield. Soil parameters recorded were Soil Organic Matter (SOM), total N and mineral N. The aforementioned soil parameters were recorded after harvesting. The results showed that nodulation in chickpea, grain yield and nutrient uptake were significantly enhanced by phosphorous and potassium mineral fertilizers. The application of biochar 95 tons ha&minus, 1 significantly enhanced number of nodules i-e (122), however statistically similar response in terms of nodules number was also noted with treatment of 130 tons ha&minus, 1. The results further revealed a significant difference in terms of organic matter (OM) (%) between the half and full mineral fertilizer treatments. With the application of 130 tons ha&minus, 1 of biochar, the OM enhanced from 1.67% in the control treatment, to 2.59%. However, total and mineral nitrogen were not statistically enhanced by the mineral fertilizer treatment. With regard to biochar treatments, total and mineral N enhanced when compared with the control treatment. The highest total N of 0.082% and mineral nitrogen of 73 mg kg&minus, 1 in the soil were recorded at 130 tons ha&minus, 1 of biochar, while the lowest total N (0.049%) and mineral nitrogen (54 mg kg&minus, 1) in the soil were recorded in the control treatment. The collaborative influence of mineral fertilizers and biochars was found to be generally non-significant for most of the soil and plant parameters. It could be concluded that the aforementioned parameters were greater for treatments receiving biochar at 95 tons or more per hectare over the last several years, and that the combination of lower doses of mineral fertilizers further improved the performance of biochar.

This study was carried out to screen historical diversity panel of bread wheat against municipal wastewater (MW) and remediated wastewater (RW) irrigation to find tolerant and sensitive genotypes and their impact on yield attributes. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three water treatments, i.e., tap water (TW), RW, and MW. Yield attributes, health risk assessment, water and soil chemistry were recorded. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify tolerant and sensitive genotypes of wheat on the basis of metal accumulation. Metal accumulation in grains increased in pattern KFeZn in all irrigation treatments. Tolerant genotypes in MW showed lowest hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) values (adults 0.62; children 0.67) for Fe and Zn as compared to sensitive genotypes (adults 1.53; children 1.70). However, HI values in sensitive and tolerant genotypes of RW were recorded1. Mean values of yield attributes, i.e., plant height, spike length, spikelet per spike, grains per plant, biological yield, grain yield, and thousand kernel weight, were recorded in pattern, i.e., MWRWTW. In this study, yield attributes and human health are affected in both cases of higher and lower concentration of Fe and Zn metal. It is suggested that tolerant genotypes can prove useful for cultivation in areas receiving MW and also provide molecular breeding opportunities for seeking tolerance against metal stresses.

Soil samples at 0-20 cm depth were collected from major crop areas of Hindukush mountainous range, District Chitral, extreme Northwestern Pakistan, during April 2014 to assess their physico-chemical properties and spatial distribution pattern. 103 soil samples were analyzed and maps were created by geostatistical technique of inverse distance weighting and kriging techniques using GIS and GS win-7 computer software. The soil texture ranged from silt loam to dominantly sandy loam, slightly acidic to alkaline and moderate to highly calcareous but with no salinity indication. Soil organic matter was higher than 2 % in about 75 % of samples. Soil pH, EC and lime showed slight dependence on each other with r values from 0.4 to 0.5 while OM varied independently as indicated by their lower correlation values. Semivariogram analysis showed that soil pH, lime, OM had strong spatial dependence (nugget-sill ratio

A study was carried out in calcareous soil (low in ABDTPA extractable phosphorus and zinc) to evaluate the effect of zinc fortified locally developed single super phosphate fertilizers on maize grown in summer 2016. Zinc fortified fertilizers were prepared in laboratory of soil science department, University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan. Treatments consisted of mixing two levels of zinc 5 and 10 kg ha-1 with SSP during its formulation by three methods of fortification coating, blending and reaction along with separate application and no application of zinc or a control treatment. Results showed the two levels of zinc mixed by different methods with SSP significantly influenced various appraised parameters of maize crop variety. With varying zinc level and fortification methods thousand grain weights, biomass yield and zinc concentration in leaves and grain were influenced significantly. Zinc at the rate of 10 kg ha-1 fortified with SSP through coating method produced maximum yield and yield components. Zn concentrations were higher in grains than leaves. It was concluded form the study that zinc (at the rate of 10 kg ha-1) mixed with phosphate fertilizer by coating produced highest maize grain yield and this method can be recommended for calcareous soil conditions of Peshawar.

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the response of colocasia (Colocasia esculenta) to different levels of 0, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha-1 under farmer’s field condition at Garhi Usmani Khel, District Malakand Dargai during 2013. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block design with three replications and treatment plot size of 2.74 × 2.43 m2. All levels of N in the form of urea along with uniform basal doze of 90 kg P2O5 ha-1 as Triple Super Phosphate (TSPPP) were applied to soil at time of seed bed followed by thorough mixing. Seeds of colocasia c.v. local variety were sown in these plots with row spacing of 30 cm and plant to plant distance of 12 cm in February, 2013. The results showed that application of N produced significantly higher colocasia tuber yield, number of tubers plant-1, 1000-tubers weight and size of tubers (mean length and diameter) over control but the differences among levels of N were nonsignificant. However, some parameters like tuber yield was maximum at 60 kg N ha-1 and tuber size especially the length of colocasia tuber was maximum at 150 kg N ha-1 suggesting that the response of each parameter was different to N levels. Based on maximum relative yield (100%) and increase over control (46.1%) still at lower N levels of 60 kg N ha-1, this level seems to be appropriate level for colocasia under the prevailing soil and climatic conditions.

In calcareous soils, phosphorus (P) availability to plant is impaired due to the formation of insoluble complexes with calcium and magnesium. Therefore, this study was executed to compare the P use efficiency (PUE) of four different P sources [rock phosphate (RP), acidulated rock phosphate (ARP), single super phosphate (SSP) and di ammonium phosphate (DAP)] alone or pre-treated with organic amendments (farm yard manure (FYM) enriched compost, simple compost and humic acid (HA)) along with control in maize crop under calcareous soils. All treatments irrespective of P sources received 90 kg P2O5 ha−1. Phosphorus application regardless of its sources and combination with organic amendments significantly improved maize growth, yield as well as P uptake and PUE. Rock phosphate when applied alone was recorded inferior but its performance significantly improved with compost or its pre-addition with FYM and HA, that further enhanced upon acidulation. Maize grain yield increased by 21, 22.2, 67.9 and 94% with RP, ARP, ARP enriched compost and ARP+ compost respectively, over control. Similarly, PUE of DAP improved from 31.7 to 43.1 and 39 with sample and enriched compost correspondingly. Post-harvest soil and grain P were at par for SSP, ARP and DAP alone or in conjugation with organic amendments when averaged across the amendments. These results suggested that pretreatment of P sources with organic amendments is an economical and more feasible approach to improve maize yield and PUE. Moreover, on-farm acidulation of RP may give at par results with SSP and DAP with cheaper rate and hence recommended for P management in maize in alkaline calcareous soils.

Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major yield limiting factor across the globe and their proper management plays a vital role in optimizing crop yield. This field experiment was conducted to assess the impact of soil and plant nitrogen N and P ratio on the growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in alkaline calcareous soil. The study consisted of various levels of nitrogen (0, 40, 80, and 160 kg ha−1 as urea) and phosphorus (0, 30, 60, and 90 kg P2O5 ha−1 as diammonium phosphate), and was carried out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with factorial arrangement having three replications. The result showed that the addition of 160 kg N ha−1 significantly improved biological yield (10,052 kg ha−1), grain weight (3120 kg ha−1), chlorophyll content at tillering stage soil plant analysis development (SPAD) value (35.38), N uptake in straw (33.42 kg ha−1), and K uptake in straw (192 kg ha−1) compared to other N levels. In case of P, 90 kg P2O5 ha−1 had resulted maximum biological yield (9852 kg ha−1), grain yield (3663 kg ha−1), chlorophyll content at tillering stage (SPAD value 34.36), P (6.68 mg kg−1) and K (171 kg ha−1) uptake in straw. The sole use of N and P have positively influenced the biological and grain yield but their interaction didn’t response to biological yield. The present study reveals that SPAD value (chlorophyll meter) is the better choice for determining plant N and P concentrations to estimate the yield potential.

An experiment was performed to investigate the effect of integrated phosphorus management with previously applied biochar at the University of Agriculture, Peshawar during 2018–2019. The treatments comprised of two levels of biochar (10 tons ha−1 and no biochar) and three sources of P {Farmyard manure, poultry manure, and an inorganic source di-ammonium phosphate}. The phosphorous sources were added in such a manner that 100, 75 and 50% of P were received from the organic sources and the remaining were obtained from the inorganic source and vice versa @ 100 kg P ha−1. This experiment was much needed for our conditions to formulate the recommended organic and mineral fertilizers for our soil, because our famers uses mineral fertilizers without any specific calculation and time which degrade and erode the soil day by day. The experiment was designed in RCB and repeated three times. The size of plot was kept as 21 m2 with strong ridges around each plot. Biological yield (7829 kg ha−1), grain yield (3200 kg ha−1), soil organic matter (1.71%), soil P content (4.28 mg kg−1), straw P content (0.07%) and grain P content (0.21%) were significantly greater with 10 tons ha−1 of residual biochar treatment. However, more thousand grain weight (52.3 g), soil organic matter (2.05%), straw P content (0.096%) and grain P content (0.25%) were significantly enhanced with the application of 100% P from PM only whereas, biological yield (9789 kg ha−1) and grain yield (4334 kg ha−1) were enhanced with application of P as 50% from PM and 50% from DAP. Soil phosphorus was significantly increased with the application of FYM. These results suggested that addition of biochar at the rate of 10 tons ha−1 in the previous season along with 100% P from PM in the current season improved yield and yield components and soil physico-chemical properties and is therefore recommended for Peshawar valley.