Decomposition and Nutrient Releasing of Biochar Compound Materials in Soil with Different Textures

Abstract

Combining biochar with chemical fertilizers or compost not only improves the shortcomings of biochar’s lack of fertility, but also extends the benefits of the compost. The application of biochar composite materials will be a future agricultural management strategy. In this study bagasse compost was mixed with wood biochar (w/w) at rates of 0% (B), 25% (BC), 50% (BC3), and 100% (no biochar, C) to produce four types of particle biochar compound materials (pBCM). These materials were applied to two types of soil (sandy soil and clayey soil) for a 180-day incubation to determine the decomposition rate and the nutrient release efficiency of the pBCMs. The results showed that C treatment had the highest decomposition rate in both types of soil. Overall, the materials decomposed faster in the sandy soil than in the clayey soil. Plants were grown over two 30-day crop periods. The plant yields of treatments C and BC3 were the highest in the first period and respectively decreased and increased in the second period. The experiment results revealed that in the biochar–compost compounds, compost increased the use efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil, and biochar increased the nutrient use efficiency in the second period. These compound materials had greater capacity for long-term supply of nutrients in soil than did single-component ones.

Effects of Biochar Application on Vegetation Growth, Cover, and Erosion Potential in Sloped Cultivated Soil Derived from Mudstone

“…The results indicate that biochar application improved the physical properties and increased the organic carbon content of the mudstone soil; these factors might have facilitated the growth of Bahia grass. Liao et al [47] reported that the yield of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa chinensis) increased by at least 30% after the co-application of biochar and compost in a tropical highly weathered soil. Lehmann and Joseph and Sohi et al [48,49] reported that biochar increases crop yield because it improves the soil structure owing to its effects on BD and pore and particle size distribution.…”