Evaluating Biochar as a Substitute to Ash in Seed Coffee Production: Impact on Germination, Seedling Growth and Soil Properties

Abstract

Coffee is propagated primarily through seeds and wood ash is an important agent used in seed coffee preparation. In recent years, the non-availability of wood ash due to gradual urbanization of rural areas compelling to look for an alternative to the wood ash. In the current investigation, biochar obtained from coffee cherry husk (a waste biomass obtained when de-husking of coffee occurs at the coffee curing factories) was tested for its potentiality as a substitute for wood ash in seed coffee preparation and its impact on germination, seedling growth and soil properties. The experiment consisted of six treatments [T1-wood-ash-treated seed coffee (control); T2-2% biochar treated seed coffee; T3-4% biochar treated seed coffee; T4-6% biochar treated seed coffee; T5- 8% biochar treated seed coffee; T6-10% biochar treated seed coffee]. The treatments were imposed in a completely randomized block design (RCBD) with two hundred seed coffees from each treatment in four replications each replication with fifty seed coffees. The growth of seedlings was assessed in-terms of shoot length, root length, fresh shoot weight, fresh root weight, dry shoot weight and dry root weight in four and six months old seedlings following standard protocols. The results showed that percent seed germination was more than 90 in all the treatments. Further, growth of coffee seedlings derived from biochar treated coffee seeds was on par (CD-0.05) to the growth of coffee seedlings obtained from wood ash treated coffee seeds for most of the growth parameters studied. These findings suggest biochar can be a potential alternative to ash during the seed coffee preparation.