Enhancing Maize Production through Biochar Pretreatment: Sustainable Herbicide Use and Soil Management

Background and Objective: Sustainable herbicide use is a major challenge in large-scale crop production. Reports on the role of biochar’s chelating functional groups in modulating herbicide efficacy remain inconsistent. This study evaluated the effects of biochar pretreatment on weed biomass, selected soil properties and maize performance under different herbicide treatments. Materials and Methods: Seven treatments were tested: Sole glyphosate (Sole Gly), sole atrazine (Sole Atr), 50% Gly+50% Atr (Sole Comb) and each combined with biochar (2 t/ha) as Gly+BC, Atr+BC, Comb+BC, plus an absolute control (AC). Fresh weed biomass (FWBW), maize grain yield (GY) and soil parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, soil organic carbon [SOC] and available phosphorus [P]) were analyzed using One-Way ANOVA (p<0.05). Results: Biochar pretreatment reduced FWBW by 14.9% and 36.4% in Gly+BC and Comb+BC plots, respectively, compared to sole herbicides, while increasing soil available P by 37.7% and 56.3%. Sole Atr caused the largest SOC depletion (16.1%), which biochar pretreatment increased by 48.1%. Maize GY generally decreased with biochar pretreatment compared to sole herbicides, except in Atr+BC, where GY increased from 1.73 t/ha to 2.30 t/ha. Treatment ranking based on overall performance was: Sole GlyConclusion: Biochar pretreatment enhanced soil properties and improved herbicide efficacy in weed control. Further studies are needed to assess its long-term impacts and scalability under diverse field conditions.