STUDYING THE EFFECT OF BIOCHAR ON SOIL PHOSPHORUS AVAILABILITY AND REDUCING CADMIUM POLLUTION

This research examined the impacts of calcium super phosphate, mono ammonium phosphate (MAP), and biochar on wheat during the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons. The study was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station farm in Sakha, Egypt, to evaluate the effects of these amendments, both individually and in combination, on clay soil properties, phosphorus availability, and the mitigation of cadmium contamination. A field study was arranged using a completely randomized block design with three replications. Bulk density values were significantly decreased by applying the used materials except calcium super phosphate and MAP fertilizers; meanwhile, total porosity and organic matter content were significantly increased. All soil treatments decreased pH and electrical conductivity. Cation exchange capacity was increased by applying all treatments. All soil treatments caused a marked improvement in soil available phosphorus. Meanwhile, the available nitrogen significantly improved except for calcium super phosphate and MAP fertilizers. The application of the evaluated materials caused a pronounced increment in straw yield, grain yield, thousand-grain weight, plant height, nitrogen use efficiency, harvest index ratio, relative increase, and nutritional wheat grain composition, N and P uptake in grains of wheat plants. It was clearly observed that cadmium concentration in fertilizer-treated soil was slightly higher than in the soil amended with biochar. Also, bioconcentrations of cadmium were low except for inorganic MAP fertilizer treatment in wheat plants.