Long-term effects of biochar on soil physical properties

Burrell, Leigh D.; Zehetner, Franz; Rampazzo, N.; Wimmer, Bernhard; Soja, Gerhard

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.07.019

Cited by 366 publications

(186 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Application of biochar at rates as high as 96 Mg ha -1 in the US Midwest (Rogovska et al, 2014) and 5% (about 140 Mg ha -1 ) in Denmark did not result in increased wet aggregate stability. Although the summary in Table 3 showed no consistent trend in changes in wet aggregate stability by textural class, Burrell et al (2016) and Ouyang et al (2013) have indicated that biochar can increase wet aggregate stability more in sandy than in silty clay or clayey soils. The organic particles of biochar may improve the particle bonding of large particles and promote soil aggregation in coarse-textured rather than in fine-textured soils.…”

Section: Biochar and Soil Structural Properties Wet Aggregate Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 90%

“…First, biochar feedstock appears to influence available water. For example, Burrell et al (2016) reported that straw biochar increased the available water but woodchip biochar had no effect under the same amount of biochar. Second, the seven studies showing no effects of biochar suggest that, in some cases, biochar may not increase available water regardless of the soil type sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum ‡ The lowercase letters for mean plant-available water values indicate significant differences.…”

Section: Water Retention and Plant Available Watermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The few reports comparing herbaceous and woody feedstock effects on soil physical properties suggest that herbaceous feedstocks can have more beneficial effects on soil physical properties than woody feedstocks. Burrell et al (2016) found that wheat straw reduced bulk density and increased the amount of water-stable aggregates and available water more than wood feedstocks Similarly, crop straw biochar and bamboo (Bambusa spp.) biochar (Demisie et al, 2014) increased wet soil aggregate stability but wood biochar had no effect.…”

Section: Feedstock Typementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Porous biochar particles can capture and conduct water more readily. Some have found that differences in the pyrolysis temperature of biochar may have small effects on soil physical properties (Herath et al, 2013;Andrenelli et al, 2016;Burrell et al, 2016;Esmaeelnejad et al, 2016).…”

Section: Pyrolysis Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

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Biochar and Soil Physical Properties

Blanco‐Canqui

2017

Soil Science Society of America Journal

696

374

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Biochar is considered to be a potential soil amendment. However, its implications for soil physical and hydraulic properties have not been widely discussed. Changes in the soil physical environment influence the numerous services that soils provide. This paper (i) reviewed the impacts of biochar on soil compaction, mechanical, structural, hydraulic, and thermal properties; (ii) discussed factors affecting biochar performance; and (iii) identified research areas. Biochar generally reduces soil bulk density by 3 to 31%, increases porosity by 14 to 64%, and has limited or no effects on penetration resistance. Biochar increases wet aggregate stability by 3 to 226%, improves soil consistency, and has mixed effects on dry soil aggregate stability. It increases available water by 4 to 130%. Saturated hydraulic conductivity decreases in coarse-textured soils, and increases in fine-textured soils following biochar application. Studies on other properties are few but suggest that biochar reduces tensile strength and particle density, alters water infiltration, moderates soil thermal properties, and has minimal effect on soil water repellency. Sandy soils appear to respond more to biochar than clayey soils. Biochar effectiveness increases as the amount of biochar applied increases. A decrease in biochar particle size can increase water retention but may reduce saturated flow. Field-scale and long-term studies assessing all soil physical properties under different scenarios of biochar management are needed. Overall, biochar generally improves the soil physical environment, but long-term field studies are lacking to conclusively ascertain the extent of biochar effects.Abbreviations: COLE, coefficient of linear extensibility; WDPT, water drop penetration test

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Section: Biochar and Soil Structural Properties Wet Aggregate Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Water Retention and Plant Available Watermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Feedstock Typementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Pyrolysis Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

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Biochar and Soil Physical Properties

Blanco‐Canqui

2017

Soil Science Society of America Journal

696

374

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“…Recently biochar has received great attention by many researcher because of its promising potentials in many environmental applications, including enhance soil properties, water treatment as a filtration media, and environmental remediation as absorbing and adsorbing agent to reduce organic and inorganic pollutants from wastewater as well as carbon sequestration and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Novotny et al, 2015, Trakal et al, 2011. The potential uses of biochar as soil improvement by enhancing physicochemical and microbial properties including decrease bulk density, improve soil aggregate stability and water holding capacity in the coarse-textured soil, facilitate drainage in the poorly drained soil, improve soil erosion potential via macroaggregates formation, increase soil pH, cation exchange capacity, base cation percentage, enhance soil fertility, biomass carbon and microbial activity (Burrell et al, 2016, Novotny et al, 2015, Herath et al, 2013, Jien and Wang, 2013.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison between Properties of Biochar Produced by Traditional and Controlled Pyrolysis

2017

Alexandria Science Exchange Journal: An International Quarterly

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Biochar is usually produced from crop residues (feedstock) by pyrolysis process under controlled conditions in specialized reactors. The characterization of biochar properties produced under field condition is limited. The objective of this study was to compare the physicochemical properties of biochar produced from two feedstocks; sugarcane bagasse feedstock (SCBF) and rice husk feedstock (RHF), under traditional field conditions (primitive) and controlled conditions. The temperature of traditional pyrolysis process was kept around 500 °C. However pyrolysis temperature under controlled conditions was repeated at 450 °C and 550 °C. In general, the results showed that increasing pyrolysis temperature decreased biochar yield and increased volatile matter, total surface area and total pore volume which were higher in RHBs than in SCBBs, the pHs of both biochars were to the alkaline range, ash and Si percentages of RHBs were higher than that of SCBBs. Furthermore, the C percentage which was higher in SCBB than in RHB. The FR-IR spectral showed that the presence of free OH group and C-H stretch in both feedstocks disappeared in produced biochars under different pyrolysis conditions. The SEM images showed the presence of longitudinal pores in SCBF while SCBB (550 °C) contained longitudinal structure and fewer micropores, while the images of the RHF showed disturbed order of elongated pores which have been changed to developed pores in RHB (550 °C and traditional). The data of XRD analysis of SCBF indicated the presence of cellulose and disappeared in its three biochars while, XRD data of RHF and RHBs indicate the presence of amorphous silica and quartz. Both biochars produced in the field using traditional pyrolysis unit showed approximately biochar properties as those produced under controlled condition (550 °C).

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Potential amendments for improving productivity of low carbon semiarid soil

Maharjan

Panday

Blanco‐Canqui

et al. 2021

Agrosystems Geosci & Env

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Applying soil amendments with high C content can potentially improve soil properties and increase crop yields. The objective of this 3-yr field study was to evaluate the effects of organic amendments on soil organic C (SOC), chemical properties, crop nutrient uptake, and crop yields in a low C sandy loam soil near Scottsbluff, NE. The field was planted to dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in 2017, maize (Zea mays L.) in 2018, and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in 2019. Char at 22.3, 44.6, 66.9, 89.2, and 133.8 Mg ha -1 ; biochar at 5.6 and 11.2 Mg ha -1 ; and composted manure and municipal compost each at 33.6 and 67.2 Mg ha -1 were applied and incorporated into the soil. In 1 yr after application, organic amendments increased SOC level in top 20 cm by 7-60%. In the second year, maize leaf tissue Fe was greater with char treatments and high biochar rate compared with the control. Greater Fe uptake in beet leaf tissue or trend for such was observed in amendment treatments at high rates compared with low rates and the control in the third year. Maize yield was enhanced with char, municipal compost, and high compost manure rate. Biochar was applied at lower rates than other amendments, and it had no effects on the parameters studied. Results suggest that locally available organic products can be potential soil amendments to increase SOC and enhance productivity. Care needs to be taken to prevent salt buildup and unwanted toxic material accumulation associated with amendments. INTRODUCTIONSoil degradation, nutrient depletion, and declining crop productivity are major constraints in agriculture, particularly in semiarid region of the U.

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Long-term effects of biochar on soil physical properties

Cited by 366 publications

References 38 publications

Biochar and Soil Physical Properties

Biochar and Soil Physical Properties

Comparison between Properties of Biochar Produced by Traditional and Controlled Pyrolysis

Potential amendments for improving productivity of low carbon semiarid soil

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