Effects of biochar compared to organic and inorganic fertilizers on soil quality and plant growth in a greenhouse experiment

Our contemporary society is struggling with soil degradation due to overuse and climate change. Pre-Columbian people left behind sustainably fertile soils rich in organic matter and nutrients well known as terra preta (de Indio) by adding charred residues (biochar) together with organic and inorganic wastes such as excrements and household garbage being a model for sustainable agriculture today. This is the reason why new studies on biochar effects on ecosystem services rapidly emerge. Beneficial effects of biochar amendment on plant growth, soil nutrient content, and C storage were repeatedly observed although a number of negative effects were reported, too. In addition, there is no consensus on benefits of biochar when combined with fertilizers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to test whether biochar effects on soil quality and plant growth could be improved by addition of mineral and organic fertilizers. For this purpose, two growth periods of oat (Avena sativa L.) were studied under tropical conditions (26°C and 2600 mm annual rainfall) on an infertile sandy soil in the greenhouse in fivefold replication. Treatments comprised control (only water), mineral fertilizer (111.5 kg N ha–1, 111.5 kg P ha–1, and 82.9 kg K ha–1), compost (5% by weight), biochar (5% by weight), and combinations of biochar (5% by weight) plus mineral fertilizer (111.5 kg N ha–1, 111.5 kg P ha–1, and 82.9 kg K ha–1), and biochar (2.5% by weight) plus compost (2.5% by weight). Pure compost application showed highest yield during the two growth periods, followed by the biochar + compost mixture. biochar addition to mineral fertilizer significantly increased plant growth compared to mineral fertilizer alone. During the second growth period, plant yields were significantly smaller compared to the first growth period. biochar and compost additions significantly increased total organic C content during the two growth periods. Cation-exchange capacity (CEC) could not be increased upon biochar addition while base saturation (BS) was significantly increased due to ash addition with biochar. On the other hand, compost addition significantly increased CEC. Biochar addition significantly increased soil pH but pH value was generally lower during the second growth period probably due to leaching of base cations. Biochar addition did not reduce ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate leaching during the experiment but it reduced nitrification. The overall plant growth and soil fertility decreased in the order compost > biochar + compost > mineral fertilizer + biochar > mineral fertilizer > control. Further experiments should optimize biochar–organic fertilizer systems.

[1]  M. Rillig,et al.  Characteristics of Biochar: Biological Properties , 2012 .

[2]  Jago Jonathan Birk,et al.  State of the scientific knowledge on properties and genesis of Anthropogenic Dark Earths in Central Amazonia (terra preta de Índio) , 2012 .

[3]  M. Velde,et al.  A quantitative review of the effects of biochar application to soils on crop productivity using meta-analysis , 2011 .

[4]  A. Zimmerman,et al.  Positive and negative carbon mineralization priming effects among a variety of biochar-amended soils. , 2011 .

[5]  F. Miglietta,et al.  Biochar as a strategy to sequester carbon and increase yield in durum wheat , 2011 .

[6]  T. Clough,et al.  Biochar incorporation into pasture soil suppresses in situ nitrous oxide emissions from ruminant urine patches. , 2011, Journal of environmental quality.

[7]  K. Spokas,et al.  Biochar’s role as an alternative N-fertilizer: ammonia capture , 2011, Plant and Soil.

[8]  L. Zwieten,et al.  Influence of biochars on flux of N2O and CO2 from Ferrosol. , 2010 .

[9]  Paul Blackwell,et al.  Effect of banded biochar on dryland wheat production and fertiliser use in south-western Australia: an agronomic and economic perspective , 2010 .

[10]  Yasuyuki Okimori,et al.  Pioneering works in biochar research, Japan , 2010 .

[11]  J. Lehmann,et al.  Stability and stabilisation of biochar and green manure in soil with different organic carbon contents , 2010 .

[12]  T. Clough,et al.  Biochar and the nitrogen cycle: introduction. , 2010, Journal of environmental quality.

[13]  C. Atkinson,et al.  Potential mechanisms for achieving agricultural benefits from biochar application to temperate soils: a review , 2010, Plant and Soil.

[14]  Christine L. Goodale,et al.  Fate of soil‐applied black carbon: downward migration, leaching and soil respiration , 2010 .

[15]  D. Laird,et al.  Short-term CO2 mineralization after additions of biochar and switchgrass to a Typic Kandiudult ☆ , 2010 .

[16]  Y. Inoue,et al.  Biochar amendment techniques for upland rice production in Northern Laos 1. Soil physical properties, leaf SPAD and grain yield , 2009 .

[17]  R. Lal,et al.  Soil degradation as a reason for inadequate human nutrition , 2009, Food Security.

[18]  Irina Subbotina,et al.  Black carbon decomposition and incorporation into soil microbial biomass estimated by 14C labeling , 2009 .

[19]  E. Novotny,et al.  Lessons from the Terra Preta de Índios of the Amazon region for the utilisation of charcoal for soil amendment , 2009 .

[20]  Winfried E. H. Blum,et al.  Nitrogen retention and plant uptake on a highly weathered central Amazonian Ferralsol amended with compost and charcoal , 2008 .

[21]  D. Wardle,et al.  Fire-Derived Charcoal Causes Loss of Forest Humus , 2008, Science.

[22]  Matthias C. Rillig,et al.  Responsible Editor: Hans Lambers. , 2007 .

[23]  Winfried E. H. Blum,et al.  Long term effects of manure, charcoal and mineral fertilization on crop production and fertility on a highly weathered Central Amazonian upland soil , 2007, Plant and Soil.

[24]  L. Zwieten,et al.  Agronomic values of greenwaste biochar as a soil amendment , 2007 .

[25]  Johannes Lehmann,et al.  Biological nitrogen fixation by common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) increases with bio-char additions , 2007, Biology and Fertility of Soils.

[26]  Bruno Glaser,et al.  Prehistorically modified soils of central Amazonia: a model for sustainable agriculture in the twenty-first century , 2007, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

[27]  J. Skjemstad,et al.  Black Carbon Increases Cation Exchange Capacity in Soils , 2006 .

[28]  Michael J. Gundale,et al.  Temperature and source material influence ecological attributes of ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir charcoal , 2006 .

[29]  W. Holben,et al.  Wildfire‐Produced Charcoal Directly Influences Nitrogen Cycling in Ponderosa Pine Forests , 2006 .

[30]  M. Gerzabek,et al.  Response of the sorption behavior of Cu, Cd, and Zn to different soil management , 2006 .

[31]  B. Glaser,et al.  Revised black carbon assessment using benzene polycarboxylic acids , 2005 .

[32]  J. Ouden,et al.  Charcoal and activated carbon as adsorbate of phytotoxic compounds - a comparative study. , 2005 .

[33]  Y. Hatate,et al.  Removal of nitrate-nitrogen from drinking water using bamboo powder charcoal. , 2004, Bioresource technology.

[34]  J. Fyles,et al.  Forest regrowth as the controlling factor of soil nutrient availability 75 years after fire in a deciduous forest of Southern Quebec , 2004, Plant and Soil.

[35]  L. S. Jensen,et al.  Effect of soil heterogeneity on gross nitrogen mineralization measured by 15N-pool dilution techniques , 2004, Plant and Soil.

[36]  Filiz Karaosmanoglu,et al.  Production and characterization of bio-oil and biochar from rapeseed cake , 2004 .

[37]  Johannes Lehmann,et al.  Nutrient availability and leaching in an archaeological Anthrosol and a Ferralsol of the Central Amazon basin: fertilizer, manure and charcoal amendments , 2003, Plant and Soil.

[38]  M. Burger,et al.  Microbial immobilization of ammonium and nitrate in relation to ammonification and nitrification rates in organic and conventional cropping systems , 2003 .

[39]  P. Lavelle,et al.  Effect of organic manure and the endogeic earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus (Oligochaeta: Glossoscolecidae) on soil fertility and bean production , 2002, Biology and Fertility of Soils.

[40]  J. Lehmann,et al.  Ameliorating physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal – a review , 2002, Biology and Fertility of Soils.

[41]  Georg Guggenberger,et al.  The 'Terra Preta' phenomenon: a model for sustainable agriculture in the humid tropics , 2001, Naturwissenschaften.

[42]  R. Izaurralde,et al.  Cycles of Soil , 2000 .

[43]  Ingrid Kögel-Knabner,et al.  Charred organic carbon in German chernozemic soils , 1999 .

[44]  G. Guggenberger,et al.  Black carbon in soils: the use of benzenecarboxylic acids as specific markers , 1998 .

[45]  E. Ongley.  Control of water pollution from agriculture , 1996 .

[46]  M. Abrams,et al.  Altered forest composition and soil properties of historic charcoal hearths in southeastern Pennsylvania , 1995 .

[47]  P. Trüby,et al.  Eine Methode zur Bestimmung austauschbarer Kationen in Waldböden , 1989 .

[48]  F. J. Stevenson.  Cycles of soil : carbon, nitrogem, phosphorus, sulfur, micronutrients , 1986 .

[49]  E. Goldberg.  Black carbon in the environment : properties and distribution / Edward D. Goldberg , 1985 .

[50]  E. H. Tryon,et al.  Effect of Charcoal on Certain Physical, Chemical, and Biological Properties of Forest Soils , 1948 .