Productivity and quality of some wheat varieties through integrated application of vermicompost and biochar in sandy soil

Abstract Background The increase product of cereals in sufficient quantities for the population is one of the largest problems currently facing farmers. So, recycling of organic waste can be one of the solutions to boost cereal yields in Egypt. Two experiences were carried out in Wadi El-Natrun, El-Beheira, Governorate, Egypt, during two winter seasons; researchers investigated the effect of biochar and vermicompost addition on grain yield and quality under sandy soil conditions. Results The results have shown that, the addition of vermicompost and biochar significantly increased the yield and the chemical constituents of the Skaha-95 and Giza-171 varieties compared to the control treatment in sandy soil conditions. The increase in the fertilizer rate of 500 to 1000 kg/fed caused a significant increase in the height of the plant, the number of grains/spike, the weight of 100 grains, the yield of the grains and the straw, the NPK content, proteins and total carbohydrates in the grains. The Skaha-95 variety considerably exceeded the Giza-171 variety on grains and straw yield and the percentage of nutritional values ​​of the dry wheat grain, that is to say NPK%, total proteins and carbohydrates. In general, the maximum average values ​​of all the parameters of our study were obtained from the variety of Skaha 95 when the plants fertilized by mixing (500 + 500 kg/fed). Conclusions According to the findings, using a mix rate of vermicompost and biochar fertilizers might be one alternative for improving the majority of wheat quality metrics under sandy soil environments.