Growth Performance of Sweet Corn (Zea mays) on the Mineral Soil Amended with Sago Waste Biochar

Abstract

Sago wastes are viable and utiliable resources for conversion into value-added products. Sago fronds and barks have high potential to be used as biochar feedstocks due to the availability and significant content of starchy-lignocellulosic compounds. However, only few studies were conducted regarding sago wastes conversion into biochar. Thus, this study evaluates the viability of converting sago wastes into biochar and as soil amendment on mineral soil planted with sweet corn (Zea mays) plants. The study was located at the Farm Unit, UiTM Samarahan, Sarawak. Five treatments combination of sago bark (SB) biochar and sago frond (SF) biochar were used in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with eighty plants per treatment and replicated three times. Parameters measured at harvest 85 days after treatment (DAT) including total dry biomass, cob weight, cob number and cob grade. All the recorded data were statistically analysed by the analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS 9.4 (2013). Different treatments showed significant effects on all the parameters studied. The highest value for total dry biomass, cob yield was obtained using SB biochar 100%. The results of this study reveal the potential of SB biochar as an alternative soil amendment to increase sweet corn biomass and yield.