Effect of Biochar Types and Rates on Some Soil properties and Nutrients Availability in a Calcareous Soil

آب و خاک

Article 1, Volume 31, Issue 4 - Serial Number 54, September 2018, Pages 1232-1246   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jsw.v31i4.61298

Authors

N. Moradi; M.H. Rasouli-Sadaghiani; E. Sepehr^*

Urmia University

Abstract

Introduction: Biochar is a material produced from organic matters under high temperature and low oxygen conditions. In recent years, scientific attention has been focused on its effects on soil amendment and ecological restoration.Due to its properties related to surface area and porosity, bulk density, nutrient content, stability, cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH value, and carbon content, biochar has the potential to improve physical and chemical soil properties and thus improve crop productivity and contribute to carbon sequestration. Biochars can have very different properties depending on the feedstock they are produced from and the pyrolysis conditions used to generate them.Biochar retains nutrients for plant uptake and soil fertility. The infiltration of harmful quantities of nutrients and pesticides into ground water and the runoff that erodes the soil and enters into the surface waters can be limited with the use ofbiochar. The actual effects of biochar on soil properties depend on the soil type and the plant species grown on the area of application, as well as biochar type and application rate.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the biochar types and rates on some soil properties and nutrient availability in a calcareous soil.
Materials and Methods: An incubation experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications. The treatments were three type of biochar (apple pruning wastes, grape pruning wastes and wheat straw), and five biochar rates (0, 1, 2, 4 and 8% w/w). Biochars used in the experiment wereproduced at the final temperature of approximately 350°C for almost 3 hours. The biochars were ground and sieved over 1 mm sieve for the incubation experiment.100 g of soil sample was weighed into polyethylene pots and then thoroughly mixed with 1, 2, 4 and 8 g of the biochar samples. Soil controls were run without any amendment. Distilled water was added to the soil–biochar mixtures (soil samples) in order to keeptheir moisture content to 60% of their water-holding capacity. The incubation was carried out in a controlled incubation chamber at 25oC for incubation in aerobically controlled non-leached conditions during 8 weeks.After 60 days, the samples were dried andsoil pH and electrical conductivity (EC) were determined in 1:5 soil to water extracts. Also, to determine mineral N, the soil samples with biochar were extracted with 2 M KCl. Organic matter was determined by dichromate oxidation. Soil extractable P and K were extracted with 0.5 M NaHCO3 (ratio 1:10) (Olsen-P) and 1 N NH4Ac (1:20) (NH4Ac-EK), respectively. DTPA-extractable Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry method (Shimadzu AA-6300).
Results and Discussion: The results indicated that adding biochar changed some soil properties such as soil organic carbon, pH, electrical conductivity and the availability of some macro and micro nutrients. These changes were also more evident with increasingin the rate of biochar. Soil organic carbon (SOC) contentsin the amount of 8% apple pruning wastes, grape pruning wastes and wheat straw biochar were 3.78, 3.80 and 5.24 times more than control, respectively. Available potassium and phosphorus increased further in derived biochar from wheat straw in the amount of 8% compared with apple pruning and grape pruning wastes. Soil available potassium in wheat straw biochar was 2.19 and 1.88 times higher than apple pruning and grape pruning wastesbiochars, respectively. Wheat straw biochar greatly increased soil EC compared to control, and a higher biochar addition finally resulted in a higher value of soil EC. Also, the mineral – N, comprising of ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), concentrationshowed significant reduction when different rates of biochar were added to the soil. Increase in the rate of applicationmarkedly reduced the concentration of both NH4-N and NO3-N. Wheat straw biochar significantly reduced available iron. Also, soil available copper significantly decreased by increasing the rate of biochar. But, soil available manganesesignificantly increased by increasing the rate of biochar. The type and rate of studied biochars had no significant effect on available Zn.
Conclusions: Generally, the soil organic carbon (SOC) markedly increased with an increase in rate of application ofbiochar during the 60 days of incubation. This suggests that the biochar has great potential for carbon sequestration in soil.In conclusion, it became clear that in order to allow for accurate prediction of the effects ofbiochar on soil characteristics and nutrient availability, a deeper understanding of interactions between soil type, biochar production method, biochar feedstock, application rate and field crops is essential. Further research is needed to determine long term impacts of biochar on these soils.

Keywords

Biochar; Pruning wastes; Wheat straw; Nutrient availability; Organic carbon

References

1. Allison L.E., and Moodie C.D. 1965. Carbonates. p. 1379-1396. In C.A. Black (ed.) Methods of Soil Analysis. Pares, ASA, Madison, WI.

2. ASTM International. 2013. ASTM D1762-84 (2013) Standard test method for chemical analysis of wood charcoal, http://www.astm.org/Standards/D1762.htm (accessed April 2014).

3. Atkinson C.J., Fitzgerald J.D., and Hipps N.A. 2010. Potential mechanisms for achieving agricultural benefits from biochar application to temperate soils: A review. Plant and Soil, 337: 1-18.

4. Chan K.Y.,Van Zwieten L., Meszaros I., Downie A., and Joseph S. 2008. Using poultry litter biochars as soil amendments. Aust J Soil Res, 46:437–444.

5. Chan K.Y., Dorahy C., and Tyler S. 2007. Determining the agronomic value of composts produced from green waste from metropolitan areas of New South Wales, Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 47: 1377–1382. doi: 10.1071/EA06128.

6. Chapman H.D. 1965. Cation Exchange Capability. In C.A. lack et al. (ed). Methods of Soil Analysis. Soil Science Society of America Journal 891- 901.

7. Cheng W, Coleman DC, Carroll CR and Hoffman CA, 1993. In situ measurements of root respiration and soluble carbon concentrations in the rhizosphere. Soil Biology and Biochemistry25: 1189-1196.

8. Cheng C.H., Lehmann J., and Engelhard M.H. 2008. Natural oxidation of black carbon in soils: Changes in molecular form and surface charge along a climosequence. Geochimi. Cosmochim. Acta, 72: 1598–1610

9. Cheng C.H., Lehmann J., Thies J.E., Burton S.D., and Engelhard M.H. 2006. Oxidation of black carbon by biotic and abiotic processes. Organic Geochemistry, 37: 1477–1488.

10. Chintala R., Mollinedo J., Schumacher T.E., Malo D.D., Julson J.L. 2014a. Effect of biochar on chemical properties of acidic soil. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 60: 393–404.

11. DeLuca T.H., and Aplet G.H. 2007. Charcoal and carbon storage in forest soils of the Rocky Mountain West. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 6: 1-7.

12. Fellet G., Marchiol L., Delle Vedove G., and Peressotti A. 2011. Application of biochar on mine tailings: Effects and perspectives for land reclamation. Chemosphere, 83: 1262–1267.

13. Ge GH and Bauder JW, 1986. Particle size analysis. p. 383-411. In A. Klute (ed.) Methods of Soil Analysis. Physical Properties. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI.

14. Glaser B., Lehmann J., and Zech W. 2002. Ameliorating physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal—a review. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 35:219–230.

15. Haefele S.M., Konboon Y., Wongboon W., Amarante S., Maarifat A.A., Pfeiffer E.M., et al. 2011. Effects and fate of biochar from rice residues in rice-based systems. Field Crops Research, 121(3):430-40.

16. Hesse P.R. 1971. A textbook of soil chemistry analysis. John Murray Pub. Ltd. London.

17. Jones B.E.H., Haynes R.J., and Phillips I.R. 2010. Effect of amendment of bauxite processing sand with organic materials on its chemical, physical and microbial properties. Journal of Environmental Management, 91: 2281–2288.

18. Kim K.R., Kim J.G., Park J.S., Kim M.S., Owens G., Youn G.H., and Lee J.S. 2012. Immobilizer-assisted management of metal-contaminated agricultural soils for safer food production. Journal of Environmental Management, 102:88–95.

19. Laird D., Fleming P., Wang B., Horton R., and Karlen D. 2010b. Biochar impact on nutrient leaching from a Midwestern agricultural soil. Geoderma, 158 (3–4): 436–442.

20. Lehmann J., and Rondon M. 2006. Bio-char soil management on highly weathered soils in the humid tropics. Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems, 517-530.

21. Lehmann J., da Silva J.P., Steiner C., Nehls T., Zech W., and Glaser B. 2003. Nutrient availability and leaching in an archaeological anthrosol and a ferralsol of the central amazon basin: Fertilizer, manure and charcoal amendments. Plant Soil, 249: 343–357.

22. Lehmann J. 2007. Bio-energy in the black. Frontiers in Ecology and Environment. 5:38–387.

23. Liang B., Lehmann J., Solomon D., Kinyangi J., Grossman J., O’Neill B., Skjemstad J.O., Thies J., Luizao F.J., Petersen J., and Neves E.G. 2006. Black carbon increases cation exchange capacity in soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 70:1719–1730.

24. Lindsay W.L., and Norwell W.A.1978. Development of a DTPA soil test for zinc, iron, manganese and copper. Journal of Soil Science Society of America, 42:421-328.

25. Major J., Steiner C., Downie A., and Lehmann J. 2009. Biochar effects on nutrient leaching. In C.J. Lehmann and S. Joseph (Ed.) Biochar for environmental management: science and technology. Earthscan.

26. Major J., Rondon M., Molina D., Riha S., and Lehmann J. 2010. Maize yield and nutrition during 4 years after biochar applicationto a Colombian savanna Oxisol. Plant Soil, 333: 117-128.

27. Mendez A., Gomez A., Paz-Ferreiro J., and Gasco G. 2012. Effects of sewage sludge biochar on plant metal availability after application to a Mediterranean soil. Chemosphere, 89(11): 1354-1359.

28. Nelson N.O., Agudelo S.C., Yuan W., and Gan J. 2011. Nitrogen and Phosphorus Availability in Biochar-Amended Soils. Soil Science. 176: 218-226 210.1097/SS.1090b1013e3182171eac.

29. Nelson D.W., and Sommers L.E. 1996. Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter. p. 961-1010. In A.L. Page et al. (ed.) Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2, 2nd ed. American Society of Agronomy, Inc. Madison, WI.

30. Novak J.M., Lima I., Xing B., Gaskin J.W., Steiner C., Das K., et al. 2009. Characterization of designer biochar produced at different temperatures and their effects on a loamy sand. Annals of Environmental Science. 3:195-206.

31. Pattiya A. 2011. Thermo chemical characterization of agricultural wastes from Thai cassava plantations. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization and Environmental Effects, 33: 691-701.

32. Rajkovich S., Enders A., Hanley K., Hyland C., Zimmerman A.R., and Lehmann J. 2012. Corn growth and nitrogen nutrition after additions of biochars with varying properties to a temperate soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 48: 271–284.

33. Robertson G., and Groffman P. 2007. Nitrogen transformations. p. 341–364. In E.A. Paul and F.E. Clark (ed.) Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry. Springer, New York.

34. Sohi S.P., Krull E., Lopez-Capel E., and Bol R. 2010. A review of biochar and its use and function in soil. P. 47-82. In Advances in Agronomy. Publisher Elsevier Academic Press Inc., ISSN 0065-2213, San Diego, CA-92101-4495, USA.

35. Solomon D., Lehmann J., Thies J., Schafer T., Liang B., Kinyangi J., Neves E., Petersen J., Luizo F., and Skjemstad J. 2007. Molecular signature and sources of biochemical recalcitrance of organic C in Amazonian dark earths. Geochimica et cosmochimica Acta, 71: 2285-2298.

36. Steiner C., TeixeiraW.G., Lehmann J., Nehls T., de Macedo J.L.V., Blum W.E.H., and Zech W. 2007. Long term effects of manure, charcoal, and mineral fertilization on crop production and fertility on a highly weathered Central Amazonian upland soil. Plant and Soil, 291: 275-290.

37. Sukiran M.A., Kheang L.S., Bakar N.A., and May C.Y. 2011. Production and characterization of bio-char from the pyrolysis of empty fruit bunches. American Journal of Applied Sciences, 8: 984–988.

38. Thies J., and Rillig M. 2009. Characteristics of Biochar: Biological Properties. p. 85-106. In J. Lehmann and S. Joseph (ed.) Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology. Earth scan: London, UK.

39. Tyron E.H. 1948. Effect of charcoal on certain physical, chemical, and biological properties of forest soils.Ecological Monographs, 18: 82-115.

40. Uchimiya M., Klasson K.T., Wartelle L.H., and Lima I.M. 2011. Influence of soil properties on heavy metal sequestration by biochar amendment: 1.Copper sorption isotherms and the release of cations. Chemosphere, 82: 1431-1437.

41. Van Zwieten L., Kimber S., Morris S., Chan K. Y., Downie A., Rust J., Joseph S., and Cowie A. 2010. Effects of biochar from slow pyrolysis of papermill waste on agronomic performance and soil fertility. Plant Soil, 327:235-246.

42. Ventura M., Zhang C., Baldi E., Fornasier F., Sorrenti G., Panzacchi P., and Tonon G. 2013. Effect of biochar addition on soil respiration partitioning and root dynamics in an apple orchard. European Journal of Soil Science, 65: 186–195.

43. Walkley A., and Black I.A. 1934. An examination of Degtjareff method for determination soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science, 37: 29-38.

44. Woolf D., Amonette J.E., Street-Perrott F.A., Lehmann J,. and Joseph S. 2010. Sustainable biochar to mitigate global climate change. Nature Communications 1, Article number: 56 (online journal). www.nature. com/ncomms/journal/v1/n5/full/ncomms1053.html.

45. Xing Y., Jingjing L., Kim M.G., Huagang H., Kouping L., Xi G., Lizhi H., Xiaoming L., Lei C., Zhengqian Y., and Hailong W. 2015. Effect of biochar on the extractability of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) and enzyme activity in soil. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, DOI 10.1007/s11356-015-4233-0

46. Yuan J., and Xu R. 2011. The amelioration effects of low temperature biochar generated from nine crop residues on an acidic ultisol. Soil Use Manage, 27: 110–115.

47. Yuan J., Xu R., Wang N., and Li J. 2011b. Amendment of acid soils with crop residues and biochars. Pedosphere, 21: 302–308.