Positive effects of composted biochar on plant growth and soil fertility

Abstract

International audienceMankind is actually facing serious issues due to the overexploitation of fossil fuels, biomass, soils, nitrogen, and phosphorus. It is claimed that biochar addition to soil improves C sequestration to prevent CO2 from atmospheric cycling. Biochar addition should also increase soil fertility in a similar way as anthropogenic dark earths of Central Amazonia. Previous studies have shown that biochar stimulates plant growth and increase fertilizer efficiency, especially when biochar is combined with organic fertilizers such as compost. However, little is known about optimum addition amounts and mixture ratios of biochar and compost. Indeed most experiments to mimic Terra preta de Indio focused on biochar alone or biochar in combination with mineral fertilizers. Therefore, we studied optimum biochar and compost amounts and mixture ratios with respect to plant response and soil fertility. We tested the effect of total amount from 0 to 200 Mg/ha, and biochar proportion from 0 % to 50 % biochar, of 18 different compost mixtures on growth of oat (Avena sativa L.) and soil properties in a fully randomized greenhouse study with sandy and loamy soil substrates. We sampled soil substrates before and after plant growth and analyzed plant growth and yield, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), mineralized nitrogen (Nmin), soil reaction (pH), and electrical conductivity (EC) applying standard procedures. Results show that biomass production was increased with rising biochar and compost amounts. Oat plant height and seed weight was improved only with rising biochar amounts, but not with compost amounts. This could be explained by increase of total organic C and total N but not by plant-available ammonium and nitrate. The positive influence of composted biochar on plant growth and soil properties suggests that composting is a good way to overcome biochar’s inherent nutrient deficiency, making it a suitable technique helping to refine farm-scale nutrient cycles

Biochar: Pyrogenic Carbon for Agricultural Use - A Critical Review

“…The application of WB, in combination with complementary annual N fertilization and fresh organic matter (added via crop residues) seem to be the key components to build up soil organic matter in the clay soil. Liu et al (2012a) and Schulz et al (2013) reported the importance of combining biochar with organic fertilization or composting biochar to improve soil fertility. Schmidt (2008) argues that biochar is not a fertilizer, but rather a nutrient carrier and a habitat for microorganisms and that it has to be charged first to be biologically active and efficient in soil-enhancing properties.…”

Pengaruh Pupuk Organik dan Arang Hayati terhadap Kualitas Media Pembibitan dan Pertumbuhan Bibit Kakao

“…Hasil ini relatif sejalan dengan yang dilaporkan oleh Abujabhah, Bound, Doyle, & Bowman (2016), bahwa pemberian arang hayati 47 ton ha -1 nyata meningkatkan C-organik dalam tanah sebesar 23% (dari 2,19% menjadi 2,69%), tetapi peningkatan ini masih lebih rendah bila dibandingkan dengan perlakuan kompos 10 ton ha -1 , yaitu sebesar 55%. Peningkatan C/N media pembibitan akibat pemberian arang kayu sengon dan pupuk organik berpotensi menyebabkan proses imobilisasi N. Upaya yang dapat dilakukan untuk menghindari pengaruh negatif proses imobilisasi N terhadap tanaman adalah melakukan pemupukan N untuk memenuhi kebutuhan tanaman (Schulz, Dunst, & Glaser, 2013).…”

Biochar research activities and their relation to development and environmental quality. A meta-analysis

“…compost, manure, digestate etc. ), a potentially attractive tool to improve agricultural productivity (Schulz et al 2013(Schulz et al , 2014Prost et al 2013;Liu et al 2013). Recently, Joseph et al (2013) and Novak and Busscher (2013) introduced tailor-made and designer biochars having specific properties adapted to their potential use.…”

“…Recently, Joseph et al (2013) and Novak and Busscher (2013) introduced tailor-made and designer biochars having specific properties adapted to their potential use. Despite the uncertainty about exact mechanisms of improvement, biochar has been most successful at improving crop yields on highly weathered soils (Crane-Droesch et al 2013;Liu et al 2013;Schulz et al 2013;Jeffery et al 2011;Lehmann and Rondon 2006;Cornelissen et al 2013;Obia et al 2016). Highly weathered soils are typical for humid (e.g.…”