Residual acidified biochar modulates growth, physiological responses, and water relations of maize (Zea mays) under heavy metal-contaminated irrigation water.

A field trial was carried out to examine the influence of residual acidified biochar (a 3:100 (w/w) mixture of citric acid and citrus wood biochar) on soil properties, growth, water status, photosynthetic efficiency, metal accumulation, nutrition status, yield, and irrigation use efficiency (IUE) of maize grown under salty soil and metal-contaminated irrigation water. The acidified biochar (ABC) was applied to faba bean in 2016/2017 in saline soil (electrical conductivity (ECe) 7.6 dS m) with three levels 0, 5, and 10 t ha with 4 replications.