Table 1.
Effect of integrated application of biochar and microbes on root length, root fresh biomass, and root dry biomass of maize grown in cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil.
| CD | MI | BC0 | BC1 | BC2 | BC3 | Mean (Cd × MI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root length (cm) | ||||||
| Cd0 | MI0 | 33.91 ± 2.95 tuv | 41.59 ± 1.75 klm | 54.58 ± 2.24 b | 48.87 ± 1.66 c-f | 44.74 ± 8.97 B |
| MI1 | 44.11 ± 3.73 h-k | 37.71 ± 1.65 n-r | 45.29 ± 2.52 g-j | 47.47 ± 1.82 d-g | 43.65 ± 4.19 BC | |
| MI2 | 36.14 ± 3.12 o-t | 37.05 ± 0.99 n-t | 49.82 ± 1.30 cde | 48.83 ± 1.83 c-f | 42.96 ± 7.37 BC | |
| MI3 | 47.04 ± 2.38 e-h | 50.71 ± 2.20 c | 61.94 ± 2.34 a | 56.25 ± 1.93 b | 53.99 ± 6.52 A | |
| Cd1 | MI0 | 36.30 ± 2.31 o-t | 31.33 ± 2.16 vw | 38.34 ± 2.35 n-q | 36.80 ± 1.58 n-t | 35.69 ± 3.04 DE |
| MI1 | 39.91 ± 2.81 lmn | 35.20 ± 2.26 q-u | 41.60 ± 2.17 klm | 50.68 ± 2.07 cd | 41.85 ± 6.48 C | |
| MI2 | 43.81 ± 2.70 ijk | 34.95 ± 1.06 r-u | 49.47 ± 1.96 c-f | 48.12 ± 2.02 c-g | 44.09 ± 6.55 BC | |
| MI3 | 42.48 ± 2.59 jkl | 38.14 ± 1.13 n-r | 48.03 ± 1.55 c-g | 48.49 ± 1.94 c-g | 44.29 ± 4.92 BC | |
| Cd2 | MI0 | 33.92 ± 1.76 tuv | 25.43 ± 2.02 x | 35.57 ± 2.01 q-u | 33.95 ± 1.90 tuv | 32.22 ± 4.59 F |
| MI1 | 32.56 ± 3.21 uv | 34.40 ± 1.59 s-v | 46.91 ± 2.49 e-i | 38.84 ± 1.90 m-p | 38.18 ± 6.39 D | |
| MI2 | 39.30 ± 1.90 l-o | 28.85 ± 2.10 w | 35.66 ± 1.87 p-u | 34.49 ± 1.79 s-v | 34.57 ± 4.33 EF | |
| MI3 | 50.30 ± 1.63 cd | 37.59 ± 2.42 n-s | 46.61 ± 0.73 f-i | 47.78 ± 1.47 c-g | 45.57 ± 5.54 B | |
| Mean (BC) | 39.98 ± 5.66 B | 36.08 ± 6.38 C | 46.15 ± 7.71 A | 45.05 ± 7.15 A | ||
| LSD (p 0.05) value | Cd × MI = 2.71; BC = 1.22; Cd × MI × BC = 6.64 | |||||
| Root fresh biomass (g) | ||||||
| Cd0 | MI0 | 19.70 ± 1.20 t-w | 22.80 ± 2.03 q-t | 31.71 ± 2.56 c-f | 29.61 ± 3.09 e-j | 25.96 ± 5.65 BCD |
| MI1 | 21.10 ± 1.05 s-v | 23.15 ± 0.53 qrs | 28.50 ± 2.95 f-k | 26.40 ± 1.22 j-p | 24.79 ± 3.30 DE | |
| MI2 | 19.30 ± 0.67 u-x | 24.14 ± 3.01 n-s | 28.85 ± 2.55 f-k | 27.43 ± 2.75 h-m | 24.93 ± 4.24 CDE | |
| MI3 | 22.41 ± 1.16 r-u | 27.29 ± 1.51 h-n | 41.14 ± 2.96 a | 32.36 ± 0.69 b-e | 30.80 ± 8.00 A | |
| Cd1 | MI0 | 16.49 ± 0.99 wxy | 23.87 ± 0.92 o-s | 35.29 ± 1.45 b | 28.27 ± 1.10 g-m | 25.98 ± 7.88 BCD |
| MI1 | 15.18 ± 1.87 yz | 23.04 ± 0.08 qrs | 30.38 ± 3.04 d-h | 28.33 ± 2.93 g-l | 24.23 ± 6.78 E | |
| MI2 | 17.33 ± 0.56 wxy | 25.11 ± 2.84 m-r | 33.68 ± 1.30 bc | 31.55 ± 1.88 c-f | 26.92 ± 7.36 B | |
| MI3 | 17.37 ± 0.34 wxy | 21.12 ± 1.58 s-v | 35.40 ± 2.07 b | 29.95 ± 1.35 d-i | 25.96 ± 8.21 BCD | |
| Cd2 | MI0 | 12.16 ± 1.79 z | 19.54 ± 2.49 uvw | 31.40 ± 2.77 c-g | 21.41 ± 2.68 stu | 21.13 ± 7.93 F |
| MI1 | 21.24 ± 2.67 stu | 21.56 ± 2.70 stu | 29.31 ± 2.96 e-j | 26.85 ± 2.27 i-o | 24.74 ± 3.99 DE | |
| MI2 | 17.97 ± 2.34 v-y | 25.15 ± 2.58 l-r | 33.76 ± 3.00 bc | 28.99 ± 1.56 f-k | 26.47 ± 6.67 BC | |
| MI3 | 16.12 ± 2.16 xy | 23.38 ± 2.89 p-s | 33.15 ± 2.03 bcd | 26.01 ± 2.18 k-q | 24.67 ± 7.04 DE | |
| Mean (BC) | 18.03 ± 2.91 D | 23.35 ± 2.04 C | 32.71 ± 3.56 A | 28.10 ± 2.87 B | ||
| LSD (0 0.05) value | Cd × MI = 1.61; BC = 0.93; Cd × MI × BC = 3.21 | |||||
| Dry biomass (g) | ||||||
| Cd0 | MI0 | 7.52 ± 0.64 tuv | 9.21 ± 0.79 k-q | 11.99 ± 0.85 bcd | 11.33 ± 0.97 def | 10.01 ± 2.04 BCD |
| MI1 | 8.45 ± 0.31 p-t | 9.18 ± 0.13 k-q | 10.62 ± 1.18 e-i | 9.87 ± 0.49 h-m | 9.53 ± 0.93 CDE | |
| MI2 | 8.15 ± 0.46 q-u | 10.37 ± 0.69 f-j | 11.32 ± 1.10 def | 11.34 ± 0.72 def | 10.30 ± 1.50 B | |
| MI3 | 8.45 ± 0.30 p-t | 10.41 ± 0.58 f-j | 14.27 ± 1.12 a | 12.06 ± 0.35 bcd | 11.30 ± 2.47 A | |
| Cd1 | MI0 | 6.25 ± 0.48 w | 9.46 ± 0.47 j-p | 12.68 ± 0.68 bc | 10.43 ± 0.28 f-j | 9.70 ± 2.67 CDE |
| MI1 | 6.27 ± 0.54 w | 8.86 ± 0.15 m-s | 11.33 ± 1.12 def | 10.86 ± 0.87 e-h | 9.33 ± 2.31 EF | |
| MI2 | 7.28 ± 0.06 uvw | 9.80 ± 0.88 h-n | 11.65 ± 0.18 b-e | 11.37 ± 0.59 def | 10.03 ± 2.00 BC | |
| MI3 | 7.14 ± 0.13 uvw | 8.68 ± 0.44 o-s | 12.74 ± 0.48 b | 11.07 ± 0.38 d-g | 9.91 ± 2.49 BCD | |
| Cd2 | MI0 | 4.94 ± 0.73 x | 7.83 ± 0.67 s-v | 10.74 ± 1.00 e-h | 7.85 ± 0.97 s-v | 7.84 ± 2.37 H |
| MI1 | 7.92 ± 1.02 stu | 8.07 ± 0.97 r-u | 10.28 ± 1.16 f-k | 9.59 ± 0.88 i-o | 8.97 ± 1.16 FG | |
| MI2 | 6.80 ± 0.75 vw | 9.36 ± 0.84 j-p | 11.61 ± 0.85 cde | 10.11 ± 0.54 g-l | 9.47 ± 2.01 DEF | |
| MI3 | 6.18 ± 0.81 w | 8.69 ± 1.10 n-s | 11.13 ± 0.78 d-g | 9.06 ± 0.78 l-r | 8.77 ± 2.03 G | |
| Mean (BC) | 7.11 ± 1.07 D | 9.16 ± 0.80 C | 11.70 ± 1.11 A | 10.41 ± 1.18 B | ||
| LSD (p 0.05) value | Cd × MI = 0.55; BC = 0.32; Cd × MI × BC = 1.11 | |||||
Values are representing means ± standard deviation (SD) of three replication. Means within a column sharing the same letters do not differ significantly different at P ≤ 0.05. BC = biochar types; Cd = artificial cadmium stress; MI = microbial inoculation; BC0 = zero biochar; BC1 = maize-straw synthesized biochar, BC2 = cow-manure synthesized biochar; BC3 = poultry-manure synthesized biochar; MI0 = no microbial inoculation; MI1 = Trichoderma harzianum (fungus) microbial inoculation; MI2 = Bacillus subtilis (bacteria) microbial inoculation; MI3 = combined Trichoderma harzianum and Bacillus subtilis microbial inoculation; Cd0 = 0 ppm Cd; Cd1 = 10 ppm Cd; Cd2 = 30 ppm Cd.