Effect of bed soil using livestock manure biochar on initial growth of Kimchi cabbage

Bed soil is a material with physical, chemical, and biological properties suitable for the production of high-quality seedlings.Moreover, it is a material that physically supports plants and supplies various nutrients and moisture necessary for the initial growth of crops.However, the price of cocopeat, the main raw material for bed soil, has risen sharply due to COVID-19 and the rise in international exchange rates, so a substitute for it is needed.Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of bed soil using livestock manure biochar (LMB) on the initial growth of Kimchi cabbage.The LMB complied with the process specifications of LMB in all other items except NaCl content, and the results of the fertilizer damage test showed no damage to crops.In the bed soil test, the germination rate, height, and leaf number of Kimchi cabbage were significantly higher in LMB0% and LMB2% treatments than any other treatments.However, the initial growth of Kimchi cabbage generally tended to decrease with the increasing rate of LMB application.Taken together, considering the benefits of livestock manure recycling, including environmental issues and carbon neutral, we propose the use of an appropriate LMB with a lower NaCl content in the bed soil cultivation.