Biomass production of Leucaena leucocephala as influenced by increasing levels of nutrient application in an alfisol amended with biochar

A investigation was conducted to determine the effect of biochar application on effectiveness of VAM symbiosis in Leucaena leucocephala on biomass production at different nutrient levels. This investigation consisted of 24 treatments resulting from factorial combination of two levels of biochar, six levels of nutrient and two levels of Glomus aggregatum inoculation. The inoculation of soil with VAM fungus increased biomass production by Leucaena at all nutrient amendment at both levels of biochar application. Leucaena plants grown in soil amended with biochar produced less biomass than those grown in soil without biochar amendment at all levels of nutrient application. The results of this investigation exemplifies the significance of optimizing nutrient application rate as well as level of biochar amendment in order to derive higher plant biomass from VAM symbiosis.