The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Biochar-mediated changes in soil quality and plant growth in a three year field trial

Author

  • D. L. Jones
  • Johannes Rousk
  • G. Edwards-Jones
  • T. H. DeLuca
  • D. V. Murphy

Summary, in English

While many laboratory studies have focused on the short term effects of biochar addition to soil), there have been comparatively few tracing its longer term effects in the field. This study investigated the multiyear impact of biochar on crop performance and soil quality with specific emphasis on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling over a 3 y period. Biochar was added to an agricultural field at 0, 25 and 50 t ha(-1) and planted with maize (year 1) and grass (years 2 and 3). Biochar addition affected plant performance in the grass crop with significant increases in foliar N (year 2) and above-ground biomass (year 3). Below-ground, biochar increased soil respiration, fungal and bacterial growth rate and turnover in year 2. This change coincided with a shift toward a bacterial dominated decomposer community, suggesting a decrease in the potential for microbially mediated C sequestration. Biochar did not affect dissolved organic C (DOC) and N (DON), NO3- or NH4+ pool sizes. Similarly, biochar addition had limited effects on the turnover of C-14-labelled SOC (plant litter), DOC (sugars and organic acids) and DON (amino acids) and no long term effect on N mineralization, NH3 volatilization, denitrification and NH4+ sorption. After 3 years in the field, the alkalinity associated with the biochar had been fully neutralized and biochar lost most of its cations (K, Na, Ca) but had built up an associated microbial community. We conclude that biochar addition to soil causes small and potentially transient changes in a temperate agroecosystem functioning. Importantly, many of the short-term effects of biochar on plant growth and soil behavior reported from laboratory studies were not observed in the field emphasizing the need for long term field trials to help inform agronomic management decisions involving biochar. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publishing year

2012

Language

English

Pages

113-124

Publication/Series

Soil Biology & Biochemistry

Volume

45

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Biological Sciences

Keywords

  • Black carbon
  • Black nitrogen
  • Carbon sequestration
  • Charcoal
  • Soil
  • organic matter
  • Climate change mitigation

Status

Published

Project

  • Interaction between fungi and bacteria in soil
  • Microbial carbon-use efficiency

Research group

  • Microbial Ecology

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0038-0717