Pinellia ternata (Thunb) Breit of the family Araceae is a perennial herbal plant. The tuber of P. ternata has many pharmacological and therapeutic benefits such as anti-inflammatory, sedative-hypnotic, treatment of coronary heart disease, relieving vomiting, prescription against asthma, and cough. Studies on the effects of light and inorganic soil additive (fertilizer) on P. ternata growth and quality have been done. However, there is no knowledge of how organic amendments influenced P. ternata growth and quality. To investigate the effects of biochar induced changes in agronomic properties of two different soils on P. ternata root growth with some focus on tuber quality.

Biochar (BC) is a carbonaceous material, produced from pyrolysis of biomass in the absence of or limited oxygen sui...[ Read more ]

Pinellia ternata (Thunb) Breit of the family Araceae is a perennial herbal plant. The tuber of P. ternata has many pharmacological and therapeutic benefits such as anti-inflammatory, sedative-hypnotic, treatment of coronary heart disease, relieving vomiting, prescription against asthma, and cough. Studies on the effects of light and inorganic soil additive (fertilizer) on P. ternata growth and quality have been done. However, there is no knowledge of how organic amendments influenced P. ternata growth and quality. To investigate the effects of biochar induced changes in agronomic properties of two different soils on P. ternata root growth with some focus on tuber quality.

Biochar (BC) is a carbonaceous material, produced from pyrolysis of biomass in the absence of or limited oxygen suitable for amending soil. ). BC can improve soil fertility directly by acting as organic fertilizer; providing essential nutrients to soils. or indirectly by improving soil properties such as increasing specific surface area (SSA), CEC, porosity, pH (acid neutralizing), organic matter and soil organic carbon (SOC), soil water holding capacity (WHC), decreasing bulk density favoring nutrient and water retention and therefore promotes plant growth. The soils used in this study were laterite (LAT) and completely decomposed granite (CDG) and the BC used was peanut shell. BC was amended to each soil at the content of 0%, 3%, and 5% (w/w). Four growth variables, tuber volume, tuber biomass, root length density, and root mass fraction; and two quality variable, tuber succinic acid content, which is a measure of the assay (potency) of the plant, and nitrogen content were measured. The major findings of this study are as follows; peanut shell BC was more effective in improving the agronomic properties of CDG than LAT. Potassium (K) was the major nutrient require for the growth of P. ternata. Tuber biomass was negatively correlated to succinic acid content; tuber potency increase with decrease in tuber biomass. 3% BC amended CDG induced highest tuber biomass while 3% BC amended LAT induced the highest succinic acid content. Thus Silty sand (CDG) amended with 3% peanut shell biochar is recommended for improving the growth of P. ternata while 3% peanut shell BC amended sand silt (LAT) is recommended for enhancing P. ternata potency.