Abstract
Biochar soil amendment can improve growing medium water and nutrient status and crop productivity. A pot experiment was conducted using Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme plants to investigate the effects of biochar amendment (20% application rate) on a soilless substrate, as well as on plant growth, fruit yield, and quality. During the experiment, substrate characteristics, plant morphological traits, and root and leaf C/N content were analyzed at three sampling points defined as early stage (36 days after germination), vegetative stage (84 days a. g.), and fruit stage (140 days a. g.). Fruit morphological traits, titratable acidity, lycopene, and solid soluble content were measured at the end of the experiment. Biochar ameliorated substrate characteristics (Nav increase of 17% and Ctot increase of 13% at the beginning of the study), resulting in a promotion effect on plant root, shoot, and leaf morphology mainly at the vegetative and fruit stages. Indeed, at these two sampling points, the biochar-treated plants had a greater number of leaves (38 and 68 at the vegetative and fruit stages, respectively) than the untreated plants (32 and 49, respectively). The biochar also increased leaf area with a rise of 26% and 36% compared with the values measured in the untreated plants. Moreover, the amendment increased twofold root length, root surface area, and root, stem, and leaf biomasses in comparison with untreated plants. Regarding plant productivity, although fruit morphology remained unchanged, biochar increased flower and fruit numbers (six times and two times, respectively), acidity (75%), lycopene (28%), and solid soluble content (16%). By unveiling promoting changes in morphological traits, fruit number, and antioxidant content occurring in cherry tomato plants growing in a biochar-treated soilless substrate, it could be possible to highlight the importance of biochar for future applications in the field for enhancing plant production and fruit quality in a sustainable agriculture framework.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar increased the Nav of the substrate by 17% at the beginning of the study.
- Taxon
- Solanum lycopersicum
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Treatment
- Biochare1
- Outcome
- Nave1
- Direction
- increasee1
- Value
- 17%e1
- Qualifier
- at the beginning of the studye1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e1“Biochar ameliorated substrate characteristics (Nav increase of 17% and Ctot increase of 13% at the beginning of the study)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar increased the Ctot of the substrate by 13% at the beginning of the study.
- Taxon
- Solanum lycopersicumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Biochare1
- Outcome
- Ctote1
- Direction
- increasee1
- Value
- 13%e1
- Qualifier
- at the beginning of the studye1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e1“Biochar ameliorated substrate characteristics (Nav increase of 17% and Ctot increase of 13% at the beginning of the study)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar-treated plants had a greater number of leaves than untreated plants at the vegetative and fruit stages.
- Taxon
- Solanum lycopersicumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Organ / stage
- vegetative and fruit stagese3
- Treatment
- biochar-treated plantse3
- Outcome
- number of leavese3
- Direction
- greatere3
- Value
- 38 and 68e3
- Qualifier
- 32 and 49e3
- Comparator
- untreated plantse3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e3“the biochar-treated plants had a greater number of leaves (38 and 68 at the vegetative and fruit stages, respectively) than the untreated plants (32 and 49, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar increased leaf area by 26% and 36% compared with untreated plants.
- Taxon
- Solanum lycopersicumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- The biochare4
- Outcome
- leaf areae4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Value
- 26% and 36%e4
- Comparator
- untreated plantse4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e4“The biochar also increased leaf area with a rise of 26% and 36% compared with the values measured in the untreated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
The amendment increased root length and root surface area twofold compared with untreated plants.
- Taxon
- Solanum lycopersicumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- amendmente5
- Outcome
- root length, root surface areae5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Value
- twofolde5
- Comparator
- untreated plantse5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e5“the amendment increased twofold root length, root surface area, and root, stem, and leaf biomasses in comparison with untreated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
The amendment increased root, stem and leaf biomasses twofold compared with untreated plants.
- Taxon
- Solanum lycopersicumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- amendmente5
- Outcome
- root, stem, and leaf biomassese5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Value
- twofolde5
- Comparator
- untreated plantse5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e5“the amendment increased twofold root length, root surface area, and root, stem, and leaf biomasses in comparison with untreated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar increased flower and fruit numbers (six times and two times, respectively).
- Taxon
- Solanum lycopersicumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- biochare7
- Outcome
- flower and fruit numberse7
- Direction
- increasede7
- Value
- six times and two timese7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e7“biochar increased flower and fruit numbers (six times and two times, respectively), acidity (75%), lycopene (28%), and solid soluble content (16%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar increased titratable acidity by 75%.
- Taxon
- Solanum lycopersicumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- biochare7
- Outcome
- aciditye7
- Direction
- increasede7
- Value
- 75%e7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e7“biochar increased flower and fruit numbers (six times and two times, respectively), acidity (75%), lycopene (28%), and solid soluble content (16%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar increased lycopene content by 28%.
- Taxon
- Solanum lycopersicumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- biochare7
- Outcome
- lycopenee7
- Direction
- increasede7
- Value
- 28%e7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e7“biochar increased flower and fruit numbers (six times and two times, respectively), acidity (75%), lycopene (28%), and solid soluble content (16%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar increased solid soluble content by 16%.
- Taxon
- Solanum lycopersicumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- biochare7
- Outcome
- solid soluble contente7
- Direction
- increasede7
- Value
- 16%e7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e7“biochar increased flower and fruit numbers (six times and two times, respectively), acidity (75%), lycopene (28%), and solid soluble content (16%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit morphology remained unchanged under biochar amendment.
- Taxon
- Solanum lycopersicumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- biochare7
- Outcome
- fruit morphologye2
- Direction
- remained unchangede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”
e7“biochar increased flower and fruit numbers (six times and two times, respectively), acidity (75%), lycopene (28%), and solid soluble content (16%)”
e2“although fruit morphology remained unchanged”
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