Legume Research

  • Chief EditorJ. S. Sandhu

  • Print ISSN 0250-5371

  • Online ISSN 0976-0571

  • NAAS Rating 6.80

  • SJR 0.391

  • Impact Factor 0.8 (2023)

Frequency :
Monthly (January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December)
Indexing Services :
BIOSIS Preview, ISI Citation Index, Biological Abstracts, Elsevier (Scopus and Embase), AGRICOLA, Google Scholar, CrossRef, CAB Abstracting Journals, Chemical Abstracts, Indian Science Abstracts, EBSCO Indexing Services, Index Copernicus
Legume Research, volume 40 issue 2 (april 2017) : 299-305

The response of some physiological traits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) to biochar and phosphorus fertilizer application

Patricia Jozina Macil, John Bob Ochanda Ogola*, Jude Julius Owuor Odhiambo, Siphiwe Gloria Lusiba
1<p>Department of Plant Production, University of Venda,&nbsp;Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa.</p>
Cite article:- Macil Jozina Patricia, Ogola* Ochanda Bob John, Odhiambo Owuor Julius Jude, Lusiba Gloria Siphiwe (2017). The response of some physiological traits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)to biochar and phosphorus fertilizer application . Legume Research. 40(2): 299-305. doi: 10.18805/lr.v0i0.7290.

This study assessed the response of photosynthesis, chlorophyll content (CC), stomatal conductance (SC) and intercepted radiation (IR) of chickpea to biochar (0, 5 10 and 20 t ha-1) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer (0 and 90 kg ha-1) rates in Thohoyandou, South Africa in 2013/2014 summer and winter seasons. Photosynthesis, CC, SC and IR were determined at vegetative and reproductive stages. Biochar increased SC and CC by 22 - 49% and 57 – 126%, respectively. P increased CC by up to 9% in the winter sowing. IR increased with P and biochar application in both sowings. Biochar increased plant height only at 70 days after emergence and P increased plant height at all plant growth stages. Biochar and phosphorus did not affect photosynthesis in either season. Therefore the use of biochar and inorganic phosphorus fertilizer may be beneficial in chickpea cropping systems characterised by poor soils and dry winter seasons.


  1. Agegnehu G, Bass AM, Nelson PN, Muirhead B, Wright G and Bird MI. (2015). Biochar and biochar-compost as soil amendments: effects on peanut yield, soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions in tropical North Queensland, Australia. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 213: 72-85.

  2. Akhtar SS, Guitong LI, Mathias NA and Fulai L. (2014). Biochar enhances yield and quality of tomatoes under reduced irrigation. Agric. Water Manage. 138: 37-44.

  3. Akhtar SS, Guitong LI, Mathias NA and Fulai L. (2015). Residual effects of biochar on improving growth, physiology and yield of wheat under salt stress. Agric. Water Manage. 158: 61-68.

  4. Beck DP. (1992). Yield and nitrogen fixation of chickpea cultivars in response to inoculation with selected rhizobial strains. Agron. J. 84: 510–516.

  5. Budania K and Yadav J. (2014). Effect of PGPR blended biochar and different levels of phosphorus on yield and nutrient uptake by chickpea. Ann. Agri-Bio Res. 19: 408-412.

  6. Burke JM, Longer DE, Oosterhuis DM, Kawakami EM and Loka DA. (2014). The effect of biochar source on cotton seedling growth and development and association with conventional fertilizers. Int. J. Plant Soil Sci. 3: 995-1008.

  7. Chemining’wa GN and Vessey JK. (2006). The genetic diversity of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. Viciae in cultivated soils of the eastern Canadian prairie. Soil Biol. Biochem. 38: 294-302.

  8. Glaser B, Lehmann J and Zech W. (2002). Ameliorating physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal: A review. Biol. Fertil. Soil. 35: 219–230.

  9. Hossain MD, Musa MH, Talib J and Jol H. (2010). Effects of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels on kenaf (Hibiscus cannabis L.) growth and photosynthesis under nutrient solution. J. Agric. Sci. 2: 49-57.

  10. Lehmann J. (2007). A handful of carbon. Nature 447: 143–144.

  11. Lusiba SG, Odhiambo JJO and Ogola JBO. (2016). Effect of biochar and phosphorus fertilizer application on soil fertility: soil physical and chemical properties. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science. DOI: 0.1080/03650340.2016.1218477

  12. Madzivhandila T, Ogola JBO and Odhiambo JJO. (2012). Growth and yield response of four chickpea cultivars to phosphorus fertilizer rates. J. Food, Agric. Environ. 10: 451-455.

  13. Major J, Rondon M, Molina D and Riha SJ Lehmann J. (2010). Maize yield and nutrition during 4 years after biochar application to a Colombian savannah Oxisol. Plant Soil. 333: 17–28.

  14. Ogola JBO, Madzivhandila T and Odhiambo JJO. (2013). Water use of chickpea: response to genotype and phosphorus fertilizer rates in winter and summer sowings. J. Food, Agric. Environ 11: 1341-1347.

  15. Partey ST, Saito K, Preziosi RF and Robson GD. (2015). Biochar use in legume-rice rotation system: effects on soil fertility and crop performance. Arch. Agron. Soil Sci. DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2015.1040399.

  16. Sarker BC, Karmoker JL and Rashid P. (2010). Effects of phosphorus deficiency on anatomical structures in maize (Zea mays L.). Bangladesh J. Bot. 39: 57-60.

  17. Sinclair TR and Vadez V. (2002). Physiological traits for crop yield improvement in low N and P environments. Plant Soil. 245: 1-15.

  18. Steiner C, Teixeira W, Lehmann J, Nehls T, De Macêdo J, Blum W and Zech WM. (2007). Long term effects of manure, charcoal and mineral fertilization on crop production and fertility on a highly weathered central Amazonian upland soil. Plant Soil. 291: 275-290.

  19. Soil Classification Working Group. (1991). Soil Classification: a taxonomic system for South Africa. Department of Agricultural Development, Pretoria, South Africa. 257 pp.

  20. Tadross MA, Gutowski WJ Jr, Hewitson BC, Jack CJ and New M. (2006). MM5 simulations of interannual change and the diurnal cycle of southern African regional climate. Theor. Appl. Climatol. 86: 63-80.

  21. Turuko M and Mohammed A. (2014). Effect of different phosphorus fertilizer rates on growth, dry matter yield and yield components of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). World J. Agric. Res. 2: 88-92.

  22. Ulyett J, Sakrabani R, Kbblewhite MG and Hann M. (2014). Impact of biochar addition on water retention, nitrification and carbon dioxide evolution from two sandy soils. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 65: 96-104.

  23. Varela OM, Rivera EB, Huang W-J, Chien C-C and Wang Y-M. (2013). Agronomic properties and characterization of rice husk and wood biochars and their effect on the growth of water spinach in a field test. J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 13: 251-266.

  24. Walley FL, Boahen SK, Hnatowich G and Stevenson C. (2005). Nitrogen and phosphorus fertility management for desi and kabuli chickpea. Can. J. Plant Sci. 85: 73–79.

  25. Xu HX, Weng XY and Yang Y. (2007). Effect of phosphorus deficiency on the photosynthetic characteristics of rice plants. J. Plant Physiol. 54: 741-748.

Editorial Board

View all (0)