Effects of Biochar, Compost and Mycorrhizal Treatments on Photosynthetic Productivity and Plant Growth

İbrahim Ortaş; Çağdaş Akpınar; Bilge Yılmaz; Ahmet Demirbaş

doi:10.17776/csj.1781615

Effects of Biochar, Compost and Mycorrhizal Treatments on Photosynthetic Productivity and Plant Growth

Abstract

This study investigated the synergistic effects of various arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculations and organic amendments on the development and photosynthetic efficiency of sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) seedlings. The experimental design included different doses of compost and biochar derived from two distinct feedstocks: Eucalyptus and Phragmites australis. The results showed that biochar derived from P. australis significantly outperformed eucalyptus biochar in enhancing Photosystem II (PSII) efficiency across different soil types (Kızıltapır and Balcalı). While all mycorrhizal treatments improved growth compared to non-inoculated controls, seedlings inoculated with Rhizophagus clarus showed greater improvements in terms of plant height, stem diameter, leaf number and PSII efficiency than those with indigenous mycorrhizae. A significant interaction was observed between the type of amendment and the mycorrhizal species: plants associated with indigenous AMF showed optimal benefits at amendment rates up to 20 t ha^-1, whereas those inoculated with Rh. clarus reached peak performance at a lower threshold of 10 t ha^-1. Overall, integrating P. australis biochar and Rh. clarus inoculation is a highly effective strategy for optimizing the nursery production of citrus seedlings.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Plant Physiology , Plant Morphology and Anatomy

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

İbrahim Ortaş
0000-0003-4496-3960
Türkiye

Çağdaş Akpınar
0000-0003-2783-397X
Türkiye

Bilge Yılmaz
0000-0002-7994-739X
Türkiye

Ahmet Demirbaş ^*
0000-0003-8759-8745
Türkiye

Publication Date

February 27, 2026

Submission Date

September 11, 2025

Acceptance Date

February 20, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 47 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1781615

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA88YS25TT

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Ortaş, İ., Akpınar, Ç., Yılmaz, B., & Demirbaş, A. (2026). Effects of Biochar, Compost and Mycorrhizal Treatments on Photosynthetic Productivity and Plant Growth. Cumhuriyet Science Journal, 47(1), 65-76. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1781615