Cattle Manure Fermented with Biochar and Humic Substances Improve the Crop Biomass, Microbiological Properties and Nutrient Status of Soil

Abstract

Co-composting of raw manure with other organic sources has recently gained the attention of the scientific community. In the present study, raw manure and manures enriched with humic substances (Humac) or biochar were co-composted to improve their physico-chemical properties. We conducted an experiment including variants consisting of soil amended with manure (M), manure + Humac (M + H), manure + biochar (M + B), and unamended (control). Soil physico-chemical, biological, and plant properties were assessed altogether. All matured manures differed from each other physico-chemically (nutrient content) and in microbial composition, and hence their effects on the observed parameters. Compared to control, the soil respiration and enzyme activities related to N and P mineralization were enhanced due to the amendment of either manure or enriched manures. The M + H treatment resulted in higher pH of the manures as compared to other treatments, whereas the M + B and M treatments revealed the highest Corg contents of the final product, which was negatively correlated with HA:FA. In the same manner, M + H and M + B were the most prominent treatments, causing higher variations in basal soil respiration. The same treatments resulted in the highest percent increase values of soil enzymes related to C, N, and P, which further show the potential of manure modification as a viable option to boost soil fertility and health.

Combined biochar and manure addition to an agricultural soil benefits fertility, microbial activity, and mitigates manure‐induced CO2 emissions

“…The enzymes related to N cycling tended to increase in activities following the application of C‐rich amendments, which was consistent with previous observations (Antonious et al., 2020; Asirifi et al., 2021; Holatko, Bielska, et al., 2022; Sekaran et al., 2020). It is known that when high C contents are added to the soil, such as when organic amendments were added here, microorganisms need to consume more N to balance their resources, and thus N‐related enzymes increased (Asirifi et al., 2021; Foster et al., 2016).…”

“…Since farmers are storing manure outside for the entire growing seasons, loss of nutrients can already occur during that period and thus the incorporation of biochar before, such as when manure is heaped outside, could help maintain the fertility of manure over a longer period, though there is a paucity of evidence in this regard (Lebrun et al., 2022). Both amendments also have benefits for soil microorganisms, generally increasing their activity and diversity (Hammerschmiedt et al., 2022; Holatko, Bielska, et al., 2022; Song et al., 2019; Sun et al., 2014), which is crucial for soil fertility. Indeed, soil microorganisms play an important role in SOM and nutrient cycling (Garbowski et al., 2023) and in the transformation of nutrients from organic to mineral forms available for plants (Ahmad et al., 2018).…”

“…In this way, nutrients added through manure are stabilized before being spread in the soil and their leaching is reduced, thus, they are more available for plants. The study of the association of manure with biochar on soil fertility and plant yield has already shown positive outcomes (Agbede et al., 2020; Banik et al., 2021; Hammerschmiedt et al., 2022; Holatko, Bielska, et al., 2022). However, those studies performed the mixing of biochar and manure simultaneously into the soil.…”

Food and agricultural wastes-derived biochars in combination with mineral fertilizer as sustainable soil amendments to enhance soil microbiological activity, nutrient cycling and crop production

“…Soil chemical and physico-chemical properties are important determinants of soil quality. It has been shown that biochar application results in the modification of soil chemical properties mainly pH and electrical conductivity and soil nutrient status ( Joseph et al., 2020 ; Holatko et al., 2022 ). We found enhanced soil pH under the application of food waste biochar (FWB) with and without MF ( Figure 2A ).…”

Analysis of the Energy and Material Use of Manure as a Fertilizer or Substrate for Biogas Production during the Energy Crisis

“…Manure methane fermentation is usually quite uniform and takes about 20-24 days. The length of the fermentation process normally depends on the production technology, the type and method of laying the litter [71] and the way of feeding the animals (type of diet) [72]. However, the resulting product conventionally has a similar composition and is characterized by a high content of organic matter and nutrients.…”