Effects of biochar and vermicompost on growth and economic benefits of continuous cropping pepper at karst yellow soil region in Southwest China

Recently, biochar (B) and vermicompost (V) have been widely used as amendments to improve crop productivity and soil quality. However, the ameliorative effects of biochar and vermicompost on the continuous cropping of pepper under open-air conditions, particularly in the karst areas of southwestern China, remain unclear. A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of biochar and vermicompost application, alone or in combination, on the yield, quality, nutrient accumulation, fertilizer utilization, and economic benefits of continuous pepper cropping from 2021 to 2022. The experiment included six treatments: CK (no fertilizer), TF (traditional fertilization of local farmers), TFB (TF combined with biochar of 3000 kg·ha-1), TFV (TF combined with vermicompost of 3000 kg·ha-1), TFBV1 (TF combined with biochar of 1500 kg·ha-1 and vermicompost of 1500 kg·ha-1), and TFBV2 (TF combined with biochar of 3000 kg·ha-1 and vermicompost of 3000 kg·ha-1). Compared with the TF treatment, biochar and vermicompost application alone or in combination increased the yield of fresh pod pepper by 24.38–50.03% and 31.61–88.92% in 2021 and 2022, respectively, whereas the yield of dry pod pepper increased by 14.69–40.63% and 21.44–73.29% in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The application of biochar and vermicompost reduced the nitrate content and increased the vitamin C (VC) and soluble sugar content of the fruits, which is beneficial for improving their quality. Biochar and vermicompost application alone or in combination not only increased nutrient uptake but also significantly improved agronomic efficiency (AE) and recovery efficiency (RE). In addition, although the application of biochar or vermicompost increased production costs, the increase in yield improved net income (ranging from 0.77 to 22.34% in 2021 and 8.82 to 59.96% in 2022), particularly in the TFBV2 treatment. In conclusion, the use of biochar and vermicompost amendments had a positive effect on the productivity and economic benefits of continuous pepper cropping, and the co-application of biochar and vermicompost could be an effective nutrient management strategy for the continuous cropping of pepper in the karst mountain areas of southwest China

Biochar-Based Fertilizer Enhances the Production Capacity and Economic Benefit of Open-Field Eggplant in the Karst Region of Southwest China

Biochar as an amendment has been widely applied to enhance crop productivity and improve soil quality. However, the effect of biochar-based fertilizer (BF) on the production capacity and economic benefits of open-field eggplant in the karst region remains unclear. A field experiment was carried out in the karst region of Southwest China from 2020 to 2021 to study the ameliorative roles of different application rates (1875, 2250, 2625, and 3000 kg ha−1) of BF on the fresh yield, quality, fertilizer utilization, and economic benefits of fresh eggplant. The results show that BF increased the yield of fresh eggplant by 3.65–13.76% (2020) and 23.40–49.04% (2021) compared to the traditional fertilization practice (TFP). The application of BF reduced the nitrate content and increased the vitamin C (VC) and soluble sugar content of the fruits, which is beneficial for improving the quality of eggplant fruits. Meanwhile, the application of BF not only increased the nutrient uptake of the eggplant but also significantly improved the fertilizer utilization rates, especially the agronomic efficiency (AE) and recovery efficiency (RE). Moreover, BF could also significantly increase the output value and net income of fresh eggplant, which can help farmers increase their income. In conclusion, a BF application rate of 2544–2625 kg ha−1 could be used to improve the yield, fertilizer efficiency, and economic benefits of open-field eggplant and is recommended for managing agricultural production in the karst region of Southwest China

Chemical Fertilizer Reduction Combined with Biochar Application Ameliorates the Biological Property and Fertilizer Utilization of Pod Pepper

Biochar is frequently utilized as a helpful amendment to sustain agricultural productivity. However, it remains uncertain whether biochar can effectively replace chemical fertilizers, especially in karst regions. To investigate the effects of co-applying biochar and chemical fertilizer on the biological characteristics and fertilizer uptake of pod peppers, as well as to determine the optimal ratio of biochar to chemical fertilizers, a two-year field experiment was conducted in southwest China. The results showed that, compared to the locally typical chemical fertilizer treatment (CF), the combined application of biochar and chemical fertilizer significantly increased the yield of both fresh and dry pod pepper. Chemical fertilizer reduction and biochar application also ameliorated fruit quality, increased nutrient accumulation, and improved fertilizer utilization efficiency. What is more, although the employment of biochar made production costs higher, the reduction in chemical fertilizers and the increase in yield improved economic efficiency, especially in the CF70B treatment (70%CF + biochar). In conclusion, moderate amounts of biochar instead of chemical fertilizers may be a valid nutrient management strategy for pod pepper in the karst mountain areas, which is beneficial for maintaining yield stability, improving quality, and increasing net income

Ameliorative Effects of Vermicompost Application on Yield, Fertilizer Utilization, and Economic Benefits of Continuous Cropping Pepper in Karst Areas of Southwest China

In recent years, vermicompost (V) has been widely used as an amendment for improving crop productivity and soil quality. However, the ameliorative effect of vermicompost on the continuous cropping pepper remains unclear, particularly in the karst areas of southwestern China. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of vermicompost application on the yield, quality, nutrient accumulation, fertilizer utilization, and economic benefits of continuous cropping pepper from 2021 to 2022. The experiment included six treatments: CK (no fertilizer), FP (the fertilization practice of local farmers), and FPV (FP combined with vermicompost of 1500, 2250, 3000, and 3750 kg·ha−1). The results show that vermicompost application increased the yield of fresh pod pepper by 28.34–51.36% (2021) and 47.13–68.82% (2022), whereas the yield of dry pod pepper increased by 16.97–35.14% (2021) and 34.48–62.61% (2022), respectively, compared with the FP treatment. The application of vermicompost reduced the nitrate content and increased the vitamin C (VC) and soluble sugar content of the fruits, which is beneficial for improving their quality. Vermicompost application not only increased nutrient uptake but also significantly improved agronomic efficiency (AE) and recovery efficiency (RE). In addition, although the application of vermicompost increased production costs, the increase in yield improved net incomes (16.02–31.83% in 2021 and 35.83–62.85% in 2022), especially in the FPV4 treatment. In conclusion, the use of vermicompost amendment had a positive effect on the productivity and economic benefits of continuous cropping pepper, which may be an effective nutrient management strategy for the continuous cropping pepper in the karst mountain areas of southwest China

Novelties in Microthyriaceae (Microthyriales): Two New Asexual Genera with Three New Species from Freshwater Habitats in Guizhou Province, China

Microthyriaceae is typified by the sexual genus Microthyrium, with eight asexual genera. Three interesting isolates were collected during our investigation of freshwater fungi from the wetlands in Guizhou Province, southwest China. Three new asexual morphs are identified. Phylogenetic analyses using ITS and LSU gene regions revealed the placement of these isolates in Microthyriaceae (Microthyriales, Dothideomycetes). Based on the morphology and phylogenetic evidence, two new asexual genera, Paramirandina and Pseudocorniculariella, and three new species, Pa. aquatica, Pa. cymbiformis, and Ps. guizhouensis, are introduced. Descriptions and illustrations of the new taxa are provided, with a phylogenetic tree of Microthyriales and related taxa