A Comparative Study on Hydrothermal Liquefied Biochar as Biofertilizer for Increased Plant Yield

Background: The agriculture sector is moving towards ecofriendly fertilizers to promote quality food products and to reduce the pollution caused on the environment by chemical fertilizer producing industries such as air pollution by releasing toxic gas and water pollution by discharging the untreated water from the chemical fertilizer industry. Though chemical fertilizer yield high productivity in short time, they reduces the soil fertility gradually, reduces the quality of the agricultural products and also implies toxic effects toward the human population. To rule out the above mentioned disadvantages and to maintain the sustainable environment, current study aims in utilizing the biochar as biofertilizer to replace the existing chemical fertilizer. Methods: In this present study the biochar obtained as the byproduct of Hydrothermal liquefaction process from various wastes like groundnut shell, sewage waste, citrus fruit peel, food waste and rice husk were mixed in equal ratio and used as a biofertilizer on three different plants (Tomato, Chilly and Lady’s finger) in the field environment. Since the biochar is rich in carbon and holds a good amount of moisture content, this acted as a promising alternate to the existing chemical fertilizer. Result: The yield % of all the plants treated with biochar were recorded and found to be 84%, 30% and 93% for tomato, chilly and lady’s finger, respectively during the period of the study. Whereas the yield % of the plants treated with chemical fertilizer were 81%, 23% and 84% for Tomato, Chilly and Lady’s finger respectively. Existing commercial biofertilizer gave a mild rise in efficiency when compared with biochar. So a future plan is proposed to treat the biochar with the agro based fertilizer industry effluent to adsorb the nutrients present in it, there by the efficiency of biochar can compete well with the existing biofertilizer.