Effects of biochar addition on N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O and CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> emissions from two paddy soils

Impacts of biochar addition on nitrous oxide (N₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from paddy soils are not well documented. Here, we have hypothesized that N₂O emissions from paddy soils could be depressed by biochar incorporation during the upland crop season without any effect on CO₂ emissions. Therefore, we have carried out the 60-day aerobic incubation experiment to investigate the influences of rice husk biochar incorporation (50 t ha⁻¹) into two typical paddy soils with or without nitrogen (N) fertilizer on N₂O and CO₂ evolution from soil. Biochar addition significantly decreased N₂O emissions during the 60-day period by 73.1% as an average value while the inhibition ranged from 51.4% to 93.5% (P < 0.05–0.01) in terms of cumulative emissions. Significant interactions were observed between biochar, N fertilizer, and soil type indicating that the effect of biochar addition on N₂O emissions was influenced by soil type. Moreover, biochar addition did not increase CO₂ emissions from both paddy soils (P > 0.05) in terms of cumulative emissions. Therefore, biochar can be added to paddy fields during the upland crop growing season to mitigate N₂O evolution and thus global warming.     

Carbon-iron coupling reduced N2O emissions via promoting the conversion to N2 in paddy soils

The influence of redox reactions involving carbon-iron coupling (organic carbon and iron oxides) on nitrous oxide (N₂O) production in paddy soils remains poorly understood. In this study, two microcosm experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of carbon-iron coupling on N₂O emissions, and the underlying mechanisms were verified using quantitative denitrification functional genes (nirS, nirK, nosZI and nosZII) and high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that ferrihydrite (iron) significantly promoted N₂O-N emissions (p < 0.05) after adding ammonium nitrogen, while glucose (carbon) significantly inhibited N₂O-N emissions (p < 0.05). Carbon-iron coupling significantly decreased N₂O-N emissions (p < 0.05) but did not affect soil total nitrogen loss and increased nitrogen (N₂) emissions. After adding high concentrations of acetylene (10% C₂H₂), the N₂O-N emissions from carbon-iron coupling treatment increased significantly from 6.4 to 11.9 mg N kg⁻¹ (p < 0.05), which confirmed that the carbon-iron coupling reduced the N₂O emissions by promoting the conversion of N₂O to N₂. The mechanisms behind carbon-iron coupling promoting complete denitrification and reducing N₂O emissions were attributed to glucose promoting iron reduction and carbon-iron coupling enhancing the abundance of nosZI (42.7%) and nosZII (16.6%).     

Effect of straw biochar application on soil carbon,greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen leaching: A vegetable crop rotation field experiment

Intensive vegetable crop systems are rapidly developing, with consequences for greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions, nitrogen leaching and soil carbon. We undertook a field trial to explore the effect of biochar application (0, 10, 20 and 40 t ha⁻¹) on these factors in lettuce, water spinach and ice plant rotation. Our results show that the 20 and 40 t ha⁻¹ soil treatments resulted in the SOC content being 26.3% and 29.8% higher than the control (0 t ha⁻¹), respectively, with significant differences among all treatments (p < .05). Biochar application caused N₂O emissions to decrease during the lettuce and water spinach seasons, by 1.5%–33.6% and 12.4%–40.5%, respectively, compared the control, with the 20 t ha⁻¹ application rate resulting in the lowest N₂O emissions. Biochar also decreased the dissolved nitrogen (DN) concentration in leachate by 9.8%–36.2%, following a 7.3%–19.9% reduction in dissolved nitrogen in the soil. Similarly, biochar decreased the nitrate (NO₃⁻) concentrations in leachate by 3.9%–30.2%, following a 3.8%–16.7% reduction in the soil nitrate level. Overall, straw biochar applied at rate of 20 t ha⁻¹ produced the lowest N₂O emissions and N leaching, while, increasing soil carbon.     

Biochar suppresses N2O emissions while maintaining N availability in a sandy loam soil

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) from agricultural soil is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Biochar amendment can contribute to climate change mitigation by suppressing emissions of N₂O from soil, although the mechanisms underlying this effect are poorly understood. We investigated the effect of biochar on soil N₂O emissions and N cycling processes by quantifying soil N immobilisation, denitrification, nitrification and mineralisation rates using ¹⁵N pool dilution techniques and the FLUAZ numerical calculation model. We then examined whether biochar amendment affected N₂O emissions and the availability and transformations of N in soils.Our results show that biochar suppressed cumulative soil N₂O production by 91% in near-saturated, fertilised soils. Cumulative denitrification was reduced by 37%, which accounted for 85–95 % of soil N₂O emissions. We also found that physical/chemical and biological ammonium (NH₄⁺) immobilisation increased with biochar amendment but that nitrate (NO₃⁻) immobilisation decreased. We concluded that this immobilisation was insignificant compared to total soil inorganic N content. In contrast, soil N mineralisation significantly increased by 269% and nitrification by 34% in biochar-amended soil.These findings demonstrate that biochar amendment did not limit inorganic N availability to nitrifiers and denitrifiers, therefore limitations in soil NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ supply cannot explain the suppression of N₂O emissions. These results support the concept that biochar application to soil could significantly mitigate agricultural N₂O emissions through altering N transformations, and underpin efforts to develop climate-friendly agricultural management techniques.     

生物炭施用下中国农田土壤N2O排放的Meta分析

为明确施加生物炭对中国农田土壤N_2O排放的影响和主要控制因素,以公开发表的试验数据为研究对象,采用Meta-analysis法定量分析了施加生物炭条件下,气候、土壤性质、田间管理方式、生物炭性质与施加量对土壤N_2O排放的影响,并对各影响因素进行通径分析。结果表明,当年降雨量≥600 mm时,生物炭显著降低土壤N_2O排放量(P0.05),且随年降雨量的增加而增强;当年日照时数大于1 000 h时,生物炭对土壤N_2O的减排效果随年日照时数的增加而减弱。当土壤p H≥6.5时,生物炭对土壤N_2O的减排效果随土壤p H的增加呈先增后减趋势;在壤土中施加生物炭对N_2O的减排效果显著(P0.05),而砂土和黏土不显著(P0.05)。生物炭对覆膜土壤N_2O的减排效果优于不覆膜土壤;生物炭对土壤N_2O的减排效果随施氮肥量增加而减弱,而随生物炭比表面积的增加而增强。当生物炭C/N处于30~500时,生物炭施用下土壤N_2O排放量显著降低(P0.05);当生物炭施加量处于20~160 t×hm-2时,生物炭对土壤N_2O的减排效果随施加量增加而增强。生物炭对土壤N_2O减排的影响存在显著的区域性特征,对华南、华东、华中和东北地区影响显著(P0.05),而对西北地区不显著(P0.05);施氮肥量、生物炭施加量、年均温和年降雨量是影响生物炭减排效果的最主要因素,这些因素的相互作用共同影响生物炭对土壤N_2O的减排效果。该研究可为生物炭在我国农区的推广应用和农田N_2O减排提供参考。     

生物质炭对土壤N2O消耗的影响及其微生物影响机理

生物质炭在温室气体减排方面具有很大的发展前景,它不仅能实现固碳,对于在大气中停留时间长且增温潜势大的N₂O也能发挥积极作用。本研究采用室内厌氧培养试验,按照生物质炭与土壤质量比（0、1%和5%）加入一定量生物质炭,土壤重量含水率控制在20%。利用Robotized Incubation平台实时检测N₂O和N₂浓度变化,通过测定土壤中反硝化功能基因丰度（nirK、nirS、nosZ）分析生物质炭对N₂O消耗的影响及其微生物方面的影响机理。结果表明：经过20 h厌氧培养后,0生物质炭处理的反硝化功能基因丰度（基因拷贝数·g^-1）分别为6.80×10⁷（nirK）、5.59×10⁸（nirS）和1.22×10⁸（nosZ）。与0生物质炭处理相比,1%生物质炭处理的nirS基因丰度由最初的2.65×10⁸基因拷贝数·g^-1升至7.43×10⁸基因拷贝数·g^-1,nosZ基因丰度则提高了一个数量级,由4.82×10⁷基因拷贝数·g^-1升至1.50×10⁸基因拷贝数·g^-1,然而nirK基因丰度并无明显变化;5%生物质炭处理的反硝化功能基因丰度并未发生显著变化。试验结束时,添加生物质炭处理的N₂/（N₂O+N₂）比值也明显高于0生物质炭处理。相关性分析结果表明,nirS基因丰度和nosZ基因丰度均与N₂O浓度在0.01水平上显著相关。试验末期nirS基因丰度和nosZ基因丰度均随着N₂O浓度的降低而升高。因此在本试验中,添加1%生物质炭可显著提高nirS和nosZ基因型反硝化细菌的丰度,增大N₂/（N₂O+N₂）比值,促进N₂O彻底还原成N₂。生物质炭对于N₂O主要影响机理是增大了可以还原氧化亚氮的细菌活性,促进完全反硝化。     

不同生物硝化抑制剂对红壤性水稻土N2O排放的影响及其机制

为揭示不同生物硝化抑制剂(BNIs)对红壤性水稻土N₂O排放的影响差异及作用机制,通过21 d的土柱淹水培养试验,比较了三种BNIs 1,9-癸二醇(1,9-D)、亚麻酸(LN)和3-(4-羟基苯基)丙酸甲酯(MHPP)与化学合成硝化抑制剂双氰胺(DCD)对土壤N₂O排放及相关硝化、反硝化功能基因的影响。结果表明:不同BNIs(1,9-D、LN、MHPP)可以显著平均降低土壤N₂O日排放峰值40.1%;1,9-D和MHPP可分别抑制N₂O排放总量44.5%和43.9%,而DCD和LN对N₂O排放总量没有显著影响。1,9-D和MHPP对AOA(氨氧化古菌)、AOB(氨氧化细菌)硝化菌和nirS、nirK型反硝化菌的调控均有所不同,1,9-D可以同时抑制AOA、AOB和nirS微生物的生长;MHPP仅可以抑制AOA的生长;其中,AOA-amoA和nirS基因丰度与土壤N₂O的排放呈显著正相关关系。同时,1,9-D和MHPP均增加了nosZ基因丰度及其与AOA-...     

Effects of biochar amendment on greenhouse gas emissions,net ecosystem carbon budget and properties of an acidic soil under intensive vegetable production

Biochar addition to soils has been frequently proposed as a means to increase soil fertility and carbon (C) sequestration. However, the effect of biochar addition on greenhouse gas emissions from intensively managed soils under vegetable production at the field scale is poorly understood. The effects of wheat straw biochar amendment with mineral fertilizer or an enhanced‐efficiency fertilizer (mixture of urea and nitrapyrin) on N₂O efflux and the net ecosystem C budget were investigated for an acidic soil in southeast China over a 1‐yr period. Biochar addition did not affect the annual N₂O emissions (26–28 kg N/ha), but reduced seasonal N₂O emissions during the cold period. Biochar increased soil organic C and CO₂ efflux on average by 61 and 19%, respectively. Biochar addition greatly increased C gain in the acidic soil (average 11.1 Mg C/ha) compared with treatments without biochar addition (average ?2.2 Mg C/ha). Biochar amendment did not increase yield‐scaled N₂O emissions after application of mineral fertilizer, but it decreased yield‐scaled N₂O by 15% after nitrapyrin addition. Our results suggest that biochar amendment of acidic soil under intensive vegetable cultivation contributes to soil C sequestration, but has only small effects on both plant growth and greenhouse gas emissions.     

Fluxes of climate‐relevant trace gases between a Norway spruce forest soil and atmosphere during repeated freeze–thaw cycles in mesocosms

For this century, an increasing frequency of extreme meteorological boundary conditions is expected, presumably resulting in a changing frequency of freezing and thawing of soils in higher‐elevation areas. Our current knowledge about the effects of these events on trace‐gas emissions from soils is scarce. In this study, the effects of freeze–thaw events on the fluxes of the trace gases CO₂, N₂O, and NO between soil and atmosphere were investigated in a laboratory experiment. Undisturbed soil columns were collected from a mature Norway spruce forest in the “Fichtelgebirge”, SE Germany. The influence of freezing temperatures (–3°C, –8°C, –13°C) on gas fluxes was studied during the thawing periods (+5°C) in three freeze–thaw cycles (FTCs) and compared to unfrozen controls (+5°C). Two different types of soil columns were examined in parallel—one consisting of O layer only (O columns) and one composed of O layer and mineral soil horizons (O+M columns)—to quantify the contribution of the organic layer and the top mineral soil to the production or consumption of these trace gases. During the thawing period, we observed increasing emissions of CO₂, N₂O, and NO from the spruce forest soil, but the cumulative emissions of these gases did mostly not exceed the level of the controls. The results show that the O layers were mainly involved in the gas production. Severe soil frost increased CO₂ fluxes during soil thawing, whereas repetition of the freeze–thaw events decreased CO₂ fluxes from the thawing soil. Fluxes of N₂O and NO were neither influenced by freezing temperature nor by freeze–thaw repetition. Stable‐isotope analysis indicated that denitrification was mostly responsible for the N₂O production in the FTC columns. Furthermore, isotope data demonstrated a consumption of N₂O through microbial denitrification to N₂. It was further shown, that production of N₂O also occurred in the mineral horizons. The NO emissions were mainly driven by increasing soil temperature during thawing. In this freeze–thaw experiment up to 20 times higher NO than N₂O fluxes were recorded. Our results suggest that topsoil thawing has little potential to increase the emissions of CO₂, N₂O, and NO in spruce forest soils.     

Decreased nitrous oxide emissions associated with functional microbial genes under bio-organic fertilizer application in vegetable fields

Bio-organic fertilizers enriched with plant growth-promoting microbes(PGPMs)have been widely used in crop fields to promote plant growth and maintain soil microbiome functions.However,their potential effects on N₂O emissions are of increasing concern.In this study,an in situ measurement experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of organic fertilizer containing Trichoderma guizhouense(a plant growth-promoting fungus)on soil N₂O emissions from a greenhouse vegetable field.The following four treatments were used:no fertilizer(control),chemical fertilizer(NPK),organic fertilizer derived from cattle manure(O),and organic fertilizer containing T.guizhouense(O+T,referring to bio-organic fertilizer).The abundances of soil N cycling-related functional genes(amoA)from ammonium-oxidizing bacteria(AOB)and archaea(AOA),as well as nirS,nirK,and nosZ,were simultaneously determined using quantitative PCR(qPCR).Compared to the NPK plot,seasonal total N₂O emissions decreased by 11.7%and 18.7%in the O and O+T plots,respectively,which was attributed to lower NH₄⁺-N content and AOB amoA abundance in the O and O+T plots.The nosZ abundance was significantly greater in the O+T plot,whilst the AOB amoA abundance was significantly lower in the O+T plot than in the O plot.Relative to the organic fertilizer,bio-organic fertilizer application tended to decrease N₂O emissions by 7.9%and enhanced vegetable yield,resulting in a significant decrease in yield-scaled N₂O emissions.Overall,the results of this study suggested that,compared to organic and chemical fertilizers,bio-organic fertilizers containing PGPMs could benefit crop yield and mitigate N₂O emissions in vegetable fields.     

N2O emission mitigation and microbial activity after Biochar and Cao application in a flooded nitrate-rich vegetable soil

Adding easily decomposable organic materials into flooded nitrate-rich soils can effectively decrease the soil nitrate concentration and repair nitrate-rich soil. However, nitrate reduction is usually accompanied with an increase in N₂O emission. This study was conducted to reduce N₂O emission in a nitrate-rich vegetable soil flooded for remediation and amended with biochar. Nitrate-rich vegetable soil was placed in five treatment groups: flooding (F); flooding with rice straw (F?+?RS); flooding with rice straw and 1% biochar (F?+?RS?+?1% biochar); flooding with rice straw and 3% biochar (F?+?RS?+?3% biochar); flooding with rice straw and CaO (F?+?RS?+?CaO). Biochar and CaO reduced the N₂O emission levels relative to the F?+?RS group, with the former being more effective than the latter, achieving reduction of 40.70% (3% biochar) and 17.35% (CaO) of cumulative N₂O emission. The 3% biochar was more effective than the 1% biochar. Regression analysis showed a positive correlation between the abundance of NO reductase gene (norB) and soil N₂O emission flux. In general, biochar and CaO could effectively reduce N₂O emissions from a nitrate-rich vegetable soil during flooding remediation, duo to elevating soil pH and altering denitrifying activity. The norB gene was the most important denitrifying gene driving soil N₂O emission in the remediation.     

Impacts of straw biochar additions on agricultural soil quality and greenhouse gas fluxes in karst area,Southwest China

Understanding and improving environmental quality by reducing soil nutrient leaching losses, sequestering carbon (C), reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and enhancing crop productivity in highly weathered or degraded soils have always been the goals of agroecosystem researchers and producers. Biochar production and soil incorporation strategies have been recently proposed to help attain these goals. However, the effect of such approaches on soil GHG fluxes is highly uncertain and needs to be further assessed before biochar can be used on a large scale. In addition, the duration of these GHG reductions is not known and is of pivotal importance for the inclusion of biochar in climate abatement strategies. In a field trial cultivated with Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris ssp. pekinensis) and radish (Daucus carota L. var. Sativa Hoffm), rapeseed (Brassica campestris L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) straw-derived biochar was added to the soil at rates of 0, 26, 64 and 128 t ha^?1, in the whole growing season (October 2011–March 2012) to monitor the effect of treatments on soil GHG production/consumption and soil quality 16 months after biochar addition. The results showed that biochar amendment increased soil pH, nitrate nitrogen content, available phosphorus content and soil water content, but decreased soil bulk density. In biochar-treated plots, soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes were from 20.1 to 87.0% higher than in the control. Soil methane (CH₄) uptakes were increased significantly, by 33.2 and 80.1%, between the biochar amendment at the rate of 64 and 128 t ha^?1 and the control. Soil nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes showed no significant difference between biochar amendment and the control. Overall only the CH₄ uptake-promoting effect continued into the long term, 16 months after biochar incorporation. This study demonstrates that the beneficial effects of biochar addition might first come through soil quality improvement and carbon sequestration, rather than through effects on the repression of soil C mineralization or the nitrogen cycle.     

Relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and changes in soil gas diffusivity in a field experiment with biochar and lime

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from arable soil while maintaining productivity is a major challenge for agriculture. Biochar is known to reduce N₂O emissions from soil, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study examined the impact of green waste biochar (20 Mg ha^?1) and lime (CaCO₃; 2 Mg ha^?1) application on soil gas transport properties and related changes in these to soil N₂O and CO₂ emissions measured using automated chambers in a field experiment cropped with maize. In situ soil water content monitoring was combined with laboratory measurements of relative soil gas diffusion coefficient (D_p/D₀) at different matric potentials, to determine changes in D_p/D₀ over time. Cumulative N₂O emissions were similar in the control and lime treatment, but much lower in the biochar treatment. Cumulative CO₂ emissions decreased in the order: lime treatment > biochar treatment > control soil. When N₂O emissions were not driven by excess N supply shortly after fertilisation, they were associated with D_p/D₀ changes, whereby decreases in D_p/D₀ corresponded to N₂O emissions peaks. No distinct pattern was observed between CO₂ emissions and D_p/D₀. Cumulative N₂O emissions were positively related to number of days with D_p/D₀ < 0.02, a critical limit for soil aeration. These results indicate that improved soil gas diffusivity, and hence improved soil aeration, may explain the effect of biochar in reducing N₂O emissions. They also suggest that knowledge of D_p/D₀ changes may be key to explaining N₂O emissions.     

The effect of nitrogen fertilization and no‐till duration on soil nitrogen supply power and post–spring thaw greenhouse‐gas emissions

With a world population now > 7 billion, it is imperative to conserve the arable land base, which is increasingly being leveraged by global demands for producing food, feed, fiber, fuel, and facilities (i.e., infra‐structure needs). The objective of this study was to determine the effect of varying fertilizer‐N rates on soil N availability, mineralization, and CO₂ and N₂O emissions of soils collected at adjacent locations with contrasting management histories: native prairie, short‐term (10 y), and long‐term (32 y) no‐till continuous‐cropping systems receiving five fertilizer‐N rates (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg N ha^–1) for the previous 9 y on the same plots. Intact soil cores were collected from each site after snowmelt, maintained at field capacity, and incubated at 20°C for 6 weeks. Weekly assessments of soil nutrient availability along with CO₂ and N₂O emissions were completed. There was no difference in cumulative soil N supply between the unfertilized long‐term no‐till and native prairie soils, while annual fertilizer‐N additions of 120 kg N ha^–1 were required to restore the N‐supplying power of the short‐term no‐till soil to that of the undisturbed native prairie soil. The estimated cumulative CO₂‐C and N₂O‐N emissions among soils ranged from 231.8–474.7 g m^–2 to 183.9–862.5 mg m^–2, respectively. Highest CO₂ fluxes from the native prairie soil are consistent with its high organic matter content, elevated microbial activity, and contributions from root respiration. Repeated applications of ≥ 60 kg N ha^–1 resulted in greater residual inorganic‐N levels in the long‐term no‐till soil, which supported larger N₂O fluxes compared to the unfertilized control. The native prairie soil N₂O emissions were equal to those from both short‐ and long‐term no‐till soils receiving repeated fertilizer‐N applications at typical agronomic rates (e.g., 90 kg N ha^–1). Eighty‐eight percent of the native soil N₂O flux was emitted during the first 2 weeks and is probably characteristic of rapid denitrification rates during the dormant vegetative period after snowmelt within temperate native grasslands. There was a strong correlation (R² 0.64; p < 0.03) between measured soil Fe‐supply rate and N₂O flux, presumably due to anoxic microsites within soil aggregates resulting from increased microbial activity. The use of modern no‐till continuous diversified cropping systems, along with application of fertilizer N, enhances the soil N‐supplying power over the long‐term through the build‐up of mineralizable N and appears to be an effective management strategy for improving degraded soils, thus enhancing the productive capacity of agricultural ecosystems. However, accounting for N₂O emissions concomitant with repeated fertilizer‐N applications is imperative for properly assessing the net global warming potential of any land‐management system.     

Biochar amendment of chromium-polluted paddy soil suppresses greenhouse gas emissions and decreases chromium uptake by rice grain

Purpose

Soil chromium (Cr) pollution has received substantial attention owing to related food chain health risks and possible promotion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The aim of the present study was to develop a promising remediation technology to alleviate Cr bioavailability and decrease GHG emissions in Cr-polluted paddy soil.

Materials and methods

We investigated the potential role of biochar amendment in decreasing soil CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O emissions, as well in reducing Cr uptake by rice grains at application rates of 0 t ha^?1 (CK), 20 t ha^?1 (BC20), and 40 t ha^?1 (BC40) in Cr-polluted paddy soil in southeastern China. In addition, the soil aggregate size distribution, soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration of soil aggregates, soil available Cr concentration, and rice yield were analyzed after harvesting.

Results and discussion

Biochar amendment significantly reduced CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O emission fluxes. Compared to CK, total C emissions in the BC20 and BC40 treatments decreased by 9.94% and 17.13% for CO₂-C, by 30.46% and 37.10% for CH₄-C, and by 34.24% and 37.49% for N₂O-N, respectively. Biochar amendment increased the proportion of both the 2000–200 μm and 200–20 μm size fractions in the soil aggregate distribution. Accordingly, the organic carbon concentration of these fractions increased, which increased the total SOC. Moreover, biochar amendment significantly decreased soil available Cr concentration and total Cr content of the rice grains by 33.6% and 14.81% in BC20 and 48.1% and 33.33% in BC40, respectively. Rice yield did not differ significantly between biochar amendment treatment and that of CK.

Conclusions

Biochar application reduced GHG emissions in paddy soil, which was attributed to its comprehensive effect on the soil properties, soil microbial community, and soil aggregates, as well as on the mobility of Cr. Overall, the present study demonstrates that biochar has a great potential to enhance soil carbon sequestration while reducing Cr accumulation in rice grains from Cr-polluted rice paddies.

     

生物质炭添加对不同pH紫色土硝化作用及N2O排放的影响

生物质炭施用可能对土壤中氮素硝化过程和N₂O排放产生影响。本研究通过室内培养试验,研究铵态氮肥与玉米秸秆生物质炭施用量(0、1%、2%、5%、10%,m/m)对酸性(pH 5.10)和石灰性(pH 8.15)紫色土氮素硝化率、净硝化速率及N₂O排放特征的影响。结果表明:①酸性和石灰性紫色土生物质炭处理平均净硝化速率相比对照分别降低了33.7%～93.7%和7.5%～40.9%,生物质炭添加抑制了酸性和石灰性紫色土硝化作用,在酸性紫色土中生物质炭对硝化作用的抑制作用随施用量的增加而增强,在石灰性紫色土中无明显规律。②与对照相比,酸性紫色土N₂O累计排放量在1%生物质炭和2%生物质炭处理下降幅分别为15.9%和27.7%,在5%和10%生物质炭处理下增幅分别为60.1%和93.2%;石灰性紫色土生物质炭各处理N₂O累积排放量均显著高于对照。③综合考虑,在酸性紫色土中1%、2%生物质炭施用对硝化作用抑制和N₂O减排综合效果最好,但在石灰性紫色土中无明显抑制和减排效果。     

长期连续秸秆还田和生物质炭施用对稻田N2O排放的影响

为了评估麦季多年连续秸秆还田和生物质炭施用对稻麦轮作系统下稻田N₂O排放的影响，于2010年麦季开始开展了为期11 a的麦季秸秆还田和生物质炭施用定位试验。试验共包括5个处理：无玉米秸秆还田和生物质炭施用(CK);6 t/(hm²·a)玉米秸秆还田(CS);2.4 t/(hm²·a)生物质炭施用(BC1);6 t/(hm²·a)生物质炭施用(BC2)和12 t/(hm²·a)生物质炭施用(BC3)。结果表明，BC2和BC3处理较CK均显著提高了土壤碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾、易氧化碳、可溶性有机氮和土壤微生物生物量氮含量。CS、BC1和BC2处理水稻生长季N₂O总排放量与CK没有显著差异，但是BC3处理的N₂O总排放量比CK提高了245.31%，并显著高于其他处理。BC3处理的N₂O总排放量和施氮肥后N₂O排放高峰期的累积排放量分别比CK提高了3.84 kg/hm²和3.3...     

Straw amendment to paddy soil stimulates denitrification but biochar amendment promotes anaerobic ammonia oxidation

Purpose

Organic matter amendment is usually used to improve soil physicochemical properties and to sequester carbon for counteracting climate change. There is no doubt that such amendment will change microbial activity and soil nitrogen transformation processes. However, the effects of straw and biochar amendment on anammox and denitrification activity and on community structure in paddy soil are unclear.

Materials and methods

We conducted a 30-day pot experiment using rice straw and rice straw biochar to deepen our understanding about the activity, microbial abundance, and community structure associated with soil nitrogen cycling during rice growth.

Results and discussion

Regarding activity, anammox contributed 3.1–8.1% of N₂ production and denitrification contributed 91.9–96.9% of N₂ production; straw amendment resulted in the highest denitrification rate (38.9 nmol N g^?1 h^?1), while biochar amendment resulted in the highest anammox rate (1.60 nmol N g^?1 h^?1). Both straw and biochar amendments significantly increased the hzsB and nosZ gene abundance (p < 0.05). Straw amendment showed the highest nosZ gene abundance, while biochar amendment showed the highest hzsB gene abundance. Phylogenetic analysis of the anammox bacteria 16S rRNA genes indicated that Candidatus Brocadia and Kuenenia were the dominant genera detected in all treatments.

Conclusions

Straw and biochar amendments have different influences on anaerobic ammonia oxidation and denitrification within paddy soil. Our results suggested that the changes in denitrification and anammox rates in the biochar and straw treatments were mainly linked to functional gene abundance rather than microbial community structure and that denitrification played the more major role in N₂ production in paddy soil.

     

Effect of biochar and nitrapyrin on nitrous oxide and nitric oxide emissions from a sandy loam soil cropped to maize

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the combined or individual effects of biochar and nitrapyrin (a nitrification inhibitor) on N₂O and NO emissions from a sandy loam soil cropped to maize. The study included nine treatments: addition of urea alone or combined with nitrapyrin to soils that had been amended with biochar at 0, 3, 6, and 12 t ha^?1 in the preceding year, and a control without the addition of N fertilizer. Peaks in N₂O and NO flux occurred simultaneously following fertilizer application and intense rainfall events, and the peak of NO flux was much higher than that of N₂O following application of basal fertilizer. Mean emission ratios of NO/N₂O ranged from 1.11 to 1.72, suggesting that N₂O was primarily derived from nitrification. Cumulative N₂O and NO emissions were 1.00 kg N₂O-N ha^?1 and 1.39 kg NO-N ha^?1 in the N treatment, respectively, decreasing to 0.81–0.85 kg N₂O-N ha^?1 and 1.31–1.35 kg NO-N ha^?1 in the biochar amended soils, respectively, while there was no significant difference among the treatments. NO emissions were significantly lower in the nitrapyrin treatments than in the N fertilization-alone treatments (P?<?0.05), but there was no effect on N₂O emissions. Neither biochar nor nitrapyrin amendment affected maize yield or N uptake. Overall, our results showed that biochar amendment in the preceding year had little effect on N₂O and NO emissions in the following year, while the nitrapyrin decreased NO, but not N₂O emissions, probably due to suppression of denitrification caused by the low soil moisture content.     

Influence of water depth and soil amelioration on greenhouse gas emissions from peat soil columns

Recently, large areas of tropical peatland have been converted into agricultural fields. To be used for agricultural activities, peat soils need to be drained, limed and fertilized due to excess water, low nutrient content and high acidity. Water depth and amelioration have significant effects on greenhouse gas (GHG) production. Twenty-seven soil samples were collected from Jabiren, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, in 2014 to examine the effect of water depth and amelioration on GHG emissions. Soil columns were formed in the peatland using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe with a diameter of 21 cm and a length of 100 cm. The PVC pipe was inserted vertically into the soil to a depth of 100 cm and carefully pulled up with the soil inside after sealing the bottom. The treatments consisting of three static water depths (15, 35 and 55 cm from the soil surface) and three ameliorants (without ameliorant/control, biochar+compost and steel slag+compost) were arranged using a randomized block design with two factors and three replications. Fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) from the soil columns were measured weekly. There was a linear relationship between water depth and CO₂ emissions. No significant difference was observed in the CH₄ emissions in response to water depth and amelioration. The ameliorations influenced the CO₂ and N₂O emissions from the peat soil. The application of biochar+compost enhanced the CO₂ and N₂O emissions but reduced the CH₄ emission. Moreover, the application of steel slag+compost increased the emissions of all three gases. The highest CO₂ and N₂O emissions occurred in response to the biochar+compost treatment followed by the steel slag-compost treatment and without ameliorant. Soil pH, redox potential (Eh) and temperature influenced the CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O fluxes. Experiments for monitoring water depth and amelioration should be developed using peat soil as well as peat soil–crop systems.