Effect of biochar on yield, quality and uptake of nutrients by maize grown on a vertisol in Maharashtra, India

The field experiment was conducted during Kharif, 2020-21, to study the effect of biochar on yield, quality and uptake of nutrients by maize grown in a vertisol on the Research Farm of the Department of Agronomy, Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola.The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with eight treatments and three replications.The treatments comprised of control, various levels of nitrogen and their combinations with 2.5 and 5.0 t ha -1 biochar.On the basis of the results obtained, significantly higher grain (45.33 q ha -1 ) and straw yield (74.57 q ha -1 ) of maize were recorded with the application of 125% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) + Biochar 5.0 t ha -1 .Significantly higher content, total uptakes of N (160.72 kg ha -1 ), P (27.02 kg ha -1 ) & K (132.44 kg ha -1 ) by maize were recorded with the application of 125% RDN + biochar 5 t ha -1 .The test weight (27.43 g) and protein content (12.19%) were also significantly higher with the application of 125% RDN + biochar 5 t ha -1 .At the same time, the total carbohydrate and crude fiber content of maize grain was found non-significant by various treatments.The higher the dose of biochar applied, the higher the nutrient (N, P and K) use efficiency was recorded.From the present investigation, it can be concluded that the soil application of 100% RDN + Biochar 5 t ha -1 favourably influenced the yield, quality and uptake of nutrients by maize.