Table 2.
Effect of integrated application of biochar and microbes on shoot length, shoot fresh, and dry biomass of maize grown in cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil.
| CD | MI | BC0 | BC1 | BC2 | BC3 | Mean (Cd × MI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoot length (cm) | ||||||
| Cd0 | MI0 | 33.91 ± 2.95 s | 59.42 ± 2.50 f | 77.97 ± 3.20 b | 69.82 ± 2.37 cd | 60.28 ± 19.15 B |
| MI1 | 44.11 ± 3.73 m-q | 53.88 ± 2.36 ghi | 64.71 ± 3.60 e | 67.81 ± 2.60 cde | 57.63 ± 10.81 CD | |
| MI2 | 36.14 ± 3.12 rs | 52.93 ± 1.41 g-j | 71.18 ± 1.85 cd | 69.76 ± 2.61 cde | 57.50 ± 16.48 CD | |
| MI3 | 47.04 ± 2.38 k-o | 72.45 ± 3.14 c | 88.49 ± 3.35 a | 80.36 ± 3.74 b | 72.08 ± 17.93 A | |
| Cd1 | MI0 | 36.30 ± 2.31 rs | 44.76 ± 3.96 l-p | 54.78 ± 3.36 fgh | 52.57 ± 2.26 g-j | 47.10 ± 8.39 F |
| MI1 | 39.91 ± 2.81 pqr | 50.62 ± 4.76 g-k | 59.43 ± 3.10 f | 72.40 ± 4.34 c | 55.59 ± 13.76 D | |
| MI2 | 43.81 ± 3.59 n-q | 49.92 ± 1.52 h-k | 70.67 ± 2.80 cd | 68.75 ± 2.89 cde | 58.29 ± 13.44 BC | |
| MI3 | 42.48 ± 3.56 opq | 54.49 ± 3.61 fgh | 68.62 ± 3.85 cde | 69.27 ± 2.78 cde | 58.71 ± 12.79 BC | |
| Cd2 | MI0 | 33.92 ± 3.72 s | 36.33 ± 3.88 rs | 50.81 ± 2.88 g-k | 48.50 ± 4.71 j-n | 42.39 ± 8.50 G |
| MI1 | 32.56 ± 3.21 s | 49.15 ± 4.27 i-m | 67.02 ± 5.54 de | 55.49 ± 4.71 fg | 51.05 ± 14.38 E | |
| MI2 | 39.30 ± 3.88 qr | 41.21 ± 4.00 pqr | 50.94 ± 4.67 g-k | 49.27 ± 4.55 i-l | 45.18 ± 5.78 F | |
| MI3 | 50.30 ± 4.63 h-k | 53.70 ± 4.87 ghi | 66.58 ± 3.83 de | 68.26 ± 3.99 cde | 59.71 ± 9.04 BC | |
| Mean (BC) | 39.98 ± 5.66 D | 51.57 ± 9.11 C | 65.93 ± 11.01 A | 64.36 ± 10.21 B | ||
| LSD (p 0.05) value | Cd × MI = 2.53; BC = 1.46; Cd × MI × BC = 5.07 | |||||
| Fresh biomass (g) | ||||||
| Cd0 | MI0 | 23.95 ± 1.17 wxy | 37.66 ± 2.03 cd | 43.83 ± 0.76 a | 38.02 ± 1.18 cd | 35.87 ± 8.43 B |
| MI1 | 30.69 ± 1.85 l-o | 34.20 ± 0.96 fgh | 34.62 ± 0.87 efg | 36.33 ± 1.49 de | 33.96 ± 2.37 C | |
| MI2 | 28.05 ± 1.11 p-t | 34.52 ± 1.08 efg | 37.46 ± 0.93 d | 37.34 ± 0.77 d | 34.34 ± 4.41 C | |
| MI3 | 27.58 ± 0.79 q-u | 39.70 ± 1.48 bc | 44.01 ± 1.18 a | 41.04 ± 2.16 b | 38.08 ± 7.23 A | |
| Cd1 | MI0 | 22.58 ± 0.71 yz | 31.27 ± 1.49 k-n | 34.00 ± 1.95 ghi | 29.63 ± 0.80 n-q | 29.37 ± 4.87 EF |
| MI1 | 28.58 ± 0.96 o-s | 28.96 ± 1.73 o-r | 33.65 ± 1.02 g-j | 38.21 ± 2.21 cd | 32.35 ± 4.54 D | |
| MI2 | 29.76 ± 1.87 m-p | 32.02 ± 0.60 i-l | 34.47 ± 0.88 efg | 33.81 ± 1.69 g-j | 32.51 ± 2.11 D | |
| MI3 | 27.77 ± 1.12 p-u | 30.27 ± 1.97 l-o | 36.15 ± 1.39 def | 37.29 ± 1.61 d | 32.87 ± 4.58 D | |
| Cd2 | MI0 | 21.15 ± 1.27 z | 22.02 ± 1.47 yz | 25.76 ± 1.41 uvw | 27.40 ± 1.59 r-u | 24.08 ± 2.98 H |
| MI1 | 22.90 ± 1.48 xyz | 26.57 ± 1.48 s-v | 33.28 ± 1.47 g-k | 32.34 ± 1.41 h-l | 28.77 ± 4.91 F | |
| MI2 | 24.79 ± 1.79 vwx | 24.08 ± 1.77 wxy | 26.63 ± 1.79 s-v | 26.04 ± 1.79 t-w | 25.38 ± 1.16 G | |
| MI3 | 27.52 ± 1.25 q-u | 28.01 ± 1.86 p-t | 32.02 ± 1.16 i-l | 31.81 ± 1.39 j-m | 29.84 ± 2.41 E | |
| Mean (BC) | 26.28 ± 3.08 C | 30.77 ± 5.27 B | 34.66 ± 5.52 A | 34.10 ± 4.71 A | ||
| LSD (p 0.05) value | Cd × MI = 1.06; BC = 0.61; Cd × MI × BC = 2.13 | |||||
| Dry biomass (g) | ||||||
| Cd0 | MI0 | 2.85 ± 0.17 wxy | 4.81 ± 0.29 cd | 5.69 ± 0.11 a | 4.86 ± 0.17 cd | 4.55 ± 1.20 B |
| MI1 | 3.81 ± 0.26 l-o | 4.31 ± 0.14 e-h | 4.37 ± 0.12 efg | 4.62 ± 0.21 de | 4.28 ± 0.34 C | |
| MI2 | 3.44 ± 0.16 p-t | 4.36 ± 0.15 efg | 4.78 ± 0.13 d | 4.76 ± 0.11 d | 4.33 ± 0.63 C | |
| MI3 | 3.37 ± 0.11 q-u | 5.10 ± 0.21 bc | 5.72 ± 0.17 a | 5.29 ± 0.31 b | 4.87 ± 1.03 A | |
| Cd1 | MI0 | 2.65 ± 0.10 yz | 3.90 ± 0.21 k-n | 4.29 ± 0.28 f-i | 3.66 ± 0.11 n-q | 3.62 ± 0.70 E |
| MI1 | 3.51 ± 0.14 o-s | 3.57 ± 0.25 o-r | 4.24 ± 0.15 g-j | 4.89 ± 0.32 cd | 4.05 ± 0.65 D | |
| MI2 | 3.68 ± 0.27 m-p | 4.00 ± 0.09 i-l | 4.35 ± 0.13 efg | 4.26 ± 0.24 g-j | 4.07 ± 0.30 D | |
| MI3 | 3.40 ± 0.16 p-u | 3.75 ± 0.28 l-o | 4.59 ± 0.20 def | 4.76 ± 0.23 d | 4.12 ± 0.65 D | |
| Cd2 | MI0 | 2.45 ± 0.18 z | 2.57 ± 0.21 yz | 3.11 ± 0.20 uvw | 3.34 ± 0.23 r-u | 2.87 ± 0.43 G |
| MI1 | 2.70 ± 0.21 xyz | 3.22 ± 0.21 s-v | 4.18 ± 0.21 g-k | 4.05 ± 0.20 h-l | 3.54 ± 0.70 E | |
| MI2 | 2.97 ± 0.26 vwx | 2.87 ± 0.25 wxy | 3.23 ± 0.26 s-v | 3.15 ± 0.26 t-w | 3.05 ± 0.17 F | |
| MI3 | 3.36 ± 0.18 q-u | 3.43 ± 0.27 p-t | 4.00 ± 0.17 i-l | 3.97 ± 0.20 j-m | 3.69 ± 0.34 E | |
| Mean (BC) | 3.18 ± 0.44 C | 3.82 ± 0.75 B | 4.38 ± 0.79 A | 4.30 ± 0.67 A | ||
| LSD (p 0.05) value | Cd × MI = 0.15; BC = 0.09; Cd × MI × BC = 0.30 | |||||
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.