Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
This study evaluated the influence of rice hull biochar (RHB) and cedar bark media (CBM) as sustainable substrates for hydroponic strawberry cultivation. The total yield from virgin CBM was 413 g/plant and that from virgin RHB was 354 g/plant. Used CBM increased the yield by 4 % (429 g/plant) while used RHB increased yield by 18 % (419 g/plant) compared to the virgin, with no significant substrate differences. Fruit yields and physical properties were strongly correlated, particularly with particle density (R2 = 0.573). After 7 years of cultivation, plant residues had accumulated in both substrates. Uncarbonized carbohydrates in RHB indicated 25.71 % and 0.40 kg/kg of carbonized carbon retained, which was 98.4 % compared to the virgin RHB. CBM decomposed overtime, limiting its long-term stability.
Keywords
carbon sequestration, cedar bark media, rice hull biochar, strawberry
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
E-ISSN
18818366
Volume
19
Issue
2
Publication Title
Engineering in Agriculture, Environment and Food
Publisher
Asian Agricultural and Biological Engineering Association
School
School of Science
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
First Page
87
Last Page
95
Recommended Citation
Rajapakse, S., & Tanaka, M. (2026). Influence of rice hull biochar and cedar bark media on strawberry productivity and carbon sequestration potential in hydroponic systems. Engineering in Agriculture, Environment and Food, 19(2), 87–95. https://doi.org/10.37221/eaef.19.2_87