Application of Biochar Changed the Status of Nutrients and Biological Activity in a Calcareous Soil

Abstract

Low nutrient availability and biological activity are the main challenges in calcareous soils with low organic matter (OM) content. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the responses of soil nutrient status and biological traits to addition of corn residue biochar produced at different pyrolysis temperature in a calcareous soil. Biochars were made at 200 (BC200), 350 (BC350), and 500°C (BC500), added to a calcareous soil at 1 and 2% (w/w) and were incubated for 90 days. The application of biochars increased soil organic carbon (SOC), electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), total N [1.21-to 1.41-fold], available P [1.71-to 2.65-fold], K [1.53-to 2.60-fold], Mn [1.14-to 1.21-fold], microbial respiration [1.21-to 2.23fold], substrate-induced respiration [1.22-to 2.63-fold], microbial biomass carbon [1.20-to 2.24-fold], the activity of catalase [1.80-to 2.93-fold], and dehydrogenase [1.47-to 2.30-fold], which varied with the pyrolysis temperature and application rate. Generally, all the measured biological attributes were higher in BC200 than the other treatments. The BC200 biochar increased soil inorganic nitrogen [1.14-to 1.21-fold] and available Fe [1.12-to 1.17-fold], Zn [1.32-to 1.42-fold], and Cu [1.06-to 1.10fold]. In contrast, the BC500 at 2% rate decreased available Fe, Zn, and Cu. The findings revealed that the application of corn biochar obtained at 200°C to calcareous soil was more efficient for improving the nutrient availability and microbial activity.

Fe-Modified Common Reed Biochar Reduced Cadmium (Cd) Mobility and Enhanced Microbial Activity in a Contaminated Calcareous Soil

“…Therefore, the application of the biochars used in this study caused a significant increase in soil SOC content. Our results agreed with the findings of Karimi et al (2020), who reported that the addition of corn biochar increased the SOC content of calcareous soil under incubation conditions. Saffari et al (2020) also reported that the SOC content in a sandy loam soil Fig.…”

“…In other work, Karimi et al (2020) also reported that a significant increase in the pH of calcareous soil that was amended with corn-residue biochar. The biochars used in the current study had a high carbon content (Table 2).…”

“…For evaluating the influence of biochar amendments on microbial activity, soil basal respiration (BR) by Anderson method (1982), substrate-induced respiration (SIR) using the method described by Alef and Nannipieri (1995), soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) by the fumigation-extraction procedures (Jenkinson and Ladd 1981), and dehydrogenase activity (Alef and Nannipieri 1995), as important and common soil microbial indicator of soil dehydrogenase activity (DHA) is considered an indicator of overall soil microbial activity which occur intracellular in all living microbial cells (Karimi et al 2020), were measured (Table 1).…”

Impact of Biochar on Release Kinetics of Pb (II) and Zn (II) in a Calcareous Soil Polluted with Mining Activities

“…According to the results, which are similar to our previous study, biochars would alter the metals' distributions in a way that they declined readily available forms (exchangeable, associated with carbonates, and associated with Fe-Mn oxides), but raised less reachable sites (associated with organic matter and residuals) in the soil (Kabiri et al 2019). Similarly to the present research, Karimi et al (2020) reported that the application of 2% corn residue biochar produced at 500°C decreased DTPA-Zn in a calcareous soil. In other work, Karimi et al (2019) reported that the application of corn residue biochar produced at 500°C increased Zn associated with organic matter and residual fraction in calcareous soil, while exchangeable and associated with Fe-Mn oxide fractions decreased.…”

Beneficial Effects of Biochar on Agriculture and Environments

“…The biochar amendment increase the organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon at 1.20 to 2.24 folds, microbial respiration at 1.21 to 2.23 folds, dehydrogenase activity at 1.47 to 2.30 folds and catalase activity at 1.80 to 2.93 folds. But the pyrolysis temperature and rate of application influence the biological properties of soil [65]. The different kinds of biochar have varied physical and chemical properties that conjunction with different soil ecosystem causes the varying level of microbial responses to amend of biochar in soils.…”