Regular Biochar and Bacteria-Inoculated Biochar Alter the Composition of the Microbial Community in the Soil of a Chinese Fir Plantation

Abstract

Biochar is a promising material for the improvement of soil quality. However, studies on biochar have mostly been carried out in laboratory conditions or have focused on agricultural aspects. The impacts of the application of biochar on soil characteristics and related ecological processes of the forest ecosystem have not been fully resolved. In this study, we investigated the effects of regular biochar and bacteria-loaded biochar on the microbial communities in the bulk soil and the rhizosphere soil of an annual Chinese fir plantation. In early spring (April), the two types of biochar were added to the soil at the rates of 2.22 t·ha−1, 4.44 t·ha−1, 6.67 t·ha−1, 8.89 t·ha−1, and 11.11 t·ha−1 by ring furrow application around the seedlings, and soil samples were collected at the end of autumn (November). The results showed that biochar addition increased the soil nutrient content and promoted the growth and diversity of soil microbial communities. The diversity of soil fungi was significantly increased, and the diversity of soil bacteria was significantly decreased. Principal component analysis under the different biochar types and application rates demonstrated that microbial communities differed significantly between the treatments and controls and that the effect of biochar on the microbial community of the bulk soil was more significant than that of the rhizosphere soil. Under the same dosage, the effect of bacteria-loaded biochar on soil was more significant than that of regular biochar.

Microbial community and network differently reshaped by crushed straw or biochar incorporation and associated with nitrogen fertilizer level

“…Different from Basidiomycota, which are prone to degrade cellulose, lignin, and other refractory substances, Ascomycota mainly utilize degradable organic compounds (Cong et al, 2020; Liu, He, et al, 2022; Lundell et al, 2010). This finding was also supported by the result from Song et al (2020), who found that the RAs of Basidiomycota (increased) and Ascomycota (decreased) were significantly affected by biochar addition, respectively. In addition, SRMs have a considerable influence on the RAs of several fungi at genus level, which was more evident than the effect of NFLs.…”

Biochar Production and Characteristics, Its Impacts on Soil Health, Crop Production, and Yield Enhancement: A Review

“…Another field study on sugarcane biochar in Foshan, South China (a subtropical region) showed an increase in bacterial populations and a decrease in actinomycetes and fungal populations [ 125 ]. On the other hand, when biochar was added to the lanceolate soil of fir, a significant increase in fungal community diversity was found, but also a significant decrease in bacterial community diversity [ 126 ].…”

Competition, Nodule Occupancy, and Persistence of Inoculant Strains: Key Factors in the Rhizobium-Legume Symbioses

“…Drying of microorganisms has been recognized as an efficient way of long-term preserving; however, desiccation is a physiologically challenging process, so protectants are added externally to the bacterial cells prior to drying (Berninger et al, 2017). Among other mineral or organic carriers, compost and biochar-the solid, carbon-rich product of heating biomass with the exclusion of air, with high porosity, large specific surface area, adsorption ability, and high cation exchange capacity-have been proposed as carriers with outstanding properties (Albareda et al, 2008;Arif et al, 2017;Egamberdieva et al, 2017;Song et al, 2020). It has also been shown that the combination of an inoculant strain together with a carbon source, such as glycerol in microgranules, confers a competitive advantage to the inoculant bacterium (Duquenne et al, 1999;Sessitsch et al, 2002).…”