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.     

生物炭及秸秆长期施用对紫色土坡耕地土壤团聚体有机碳的影响

依托紫色土坡耕地长期施肥试验观测平台,研究生物炭、秸秆对紫色土坡耕地团聚体有机碳分布的影响。长期施肥试验处理包括不施肥(CK)、无机氮磷钾肥(NPK)、秸秆还田(RSD)、生物炭与无机氮磷钾配施(BCNPK)、秸秆与无机氮磷钾配施(RSDNPK)。利用湿筛法,进行土壤团聚体粒径分组,随后测定各粒径团聚体含量及其有机碳含量,并计算团聚体平均质量直径(MWD)和几何平均直径(GMD)。结果表明,RSD、RSDNPK和BCNPK处理的表层SOC含量比CK处理增加43.1%～90.5%,SOC储量提高65.1%～74.3%,其中RSDNPK处理、BCNPK处理较NPK处理SOC显著增加25.2%～33.1%(P0.05), SOC储量显著提高23.2%～30.0%(P0.05)。团聚体MWD和GMD均为RSD处理RSDNPK处理BCNPK处理NPK处理CK处理; RSD处理0.25～2 mm的团聚体含量高达45.5%,较CK处理提高57.7%;秸秆和生物炭配施处理(RSDNPK处理和BCNPK处理)0.25～2mm的团聚体含量为41.3%～45.7%,而0.053mm粒径团聚体含量却降低54.1%～55.4%。NPK处理、RSD处理与CK处理的增长趋势相似,呈随团聚体粒径减小,团聚体有机碳含量先增大后减小,继而再增大的趋势;而RSDNPK、BCNPK处理则呈随粒径减小团聚体有机碳含量增加的趋势。生物炭和秸秆的施用能显著提升土壤有机碳含量,增强土壤结构稳定性,但生物碳的施用对提升土壤有机碳含量效果优于秸秆的施用,秸秆的施用对稳定土壤结构效果更优,因此生物炭和秸秆的施用可作为紫色土耕地土壤肥力维持和提升的有效管理措施。     

生物炭和秸秆还田对干旱区玉米农田土壤温室气体通量的影响

为了研究生物炭及秸秆还田对干旱区玉米农田温室气体通量的影响,以内蒙古科尔沁地区玉米农田为试验对象,采用静态箱-气相色谱法对分别施入生物炭0 t·hm^-2（CK）、15 t·hm^-2（C15）、30 t·hm^-2（C30）、45 t·hm^-2（C45）及秸秆还田（SNPK）的土壤进行温室气体（CO₂、CH₄和N₂O）通量的原位观测,并估算生长季CH₄和N₂O的综合增温潜势（GWP）与排放强度（GHGI）。结果表明：添加生物炭能够显著减少土壤CO₂和N₂O的排放量,并促进土壤对CH₄的吸收作用。其中处理C15对CO₂的减排效果最好,与对照相比CO₂排放量降低21.16%。随着施入生物炭量的增加,生物炭对N₂O排放的抑制作用不断增强,处理C45对减排效果最好,与对照相比N₂O排放量降低86.25%。处理C15对土壤吸收CH₄的促进效果最好,CH₄吸收量增加56.62%;处理C45对CH₄的排放有促进作用,使生长季土壤吸收CH₄减少81.36%。SNPK对温室气体的减排作用接近处理C15。添加生物炭和秸秆还田对提高玉米产量和降低农田GWP与GHGI均有显著效果,施用生物炭及秸秆还田均有效提高了科尔沁地区的玉米产量,且玉米产量随着施入生物炭含量的增大而提升。从GWP上来看,施用15 t·hm^-2生物炭对温室气体减排的整体效果最好。从GHGI上来看,施用生物炭及秸秆还田均具有一定的经济效益和减排意义,其中施用15 t·hm^-2生物炭的综合效益最高。因此综合经济效益与环境因素,建议科尔沁地区农田在种植玉米时添加15 t·hm^-2生物炭,如不具备购买生物炭条件,可以考虑秸秆还田来实现玉米增产与温室气体减排。     

Rice straw biochar amended soil improves wheat productivity and accumulated phosphorus in grain

Abstract

Biochar is a pyrolyzed biomass produced under limited oxygen or oxygen absent conditions. Few investigations have been conducted to determine the combined effect of biochar with chemical fertilizer on growth, yield and nutrient distribution pattern in root, shoot and grain in wheat as well as changes in soil physiochemical properties. This research was designed to study the combined effect of chemical fertilizer and rice straw-derived biochar on soil physio-chemical properties, growth, yield and nutrient distribution pattern within wheat plant tissue and grain. Results showed that rice straw biochar caused a significant decrease in soil pH and increase in soil organic matter as well as nutrients like total nitrogen (TN), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and boron (B) due to incubation. Result also showed that root biomass and straw did not differ between Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) and ½ BARC?+?rice straw biochar treatment. Similarly, thousand grain weight and grain yield did not differ between the same treatments. The phosphorus concentration in wheat grain was highest in ½ BARC?+?rice straw biochar as compared to other treatments. The use of rice straw biochar in addition to the chemical fertilizers in wheat production systems is an economically feasible and practical nutrient management practice. Our findings urged that reduction of chemical fertilizer application is possible with supplementation of rice straw biochar.     

不同温度下水稻秸秆多孔生物炭结构与电化学性能

针对一步热解活化技术制备的秸秆多孔生物炭的表面活性位点偏少、孔隙结构不发达和电化学性能欠佳的问题,该研究以水稻秸秆微波磷酸水热炭为前驱体,开展500～900 ℃下多孔生物炭的制备试验,探讨不同温度下多孔生物炭的结构及电化学性能。结果表明,随着活化温度的升高,水稻秸秆多孔生物炭产率由50.31%降低到33.47%,800 ℃多孔生物炭的C含量最高,为74.09%。多孔生物炭表面上含有的-OH、C-O-C等含O基团和吡啶氮、吡咯氮、石墨氮和氮的氧化物等含N基团,有利于其在电解质中的润湿性,降低离子转移电阻。随着活化温度的升高,多孔生物炭的碳的无序度和缺陷程度先增加后降低。800 ℃多孔生物炭的表面缺陷较多,其比表面积为1 002.20 m2/g,总孔体积最大为0.79 cm3/g,中孔体积率为45.57%。在三电极的KOH电解质体系下,800 ℃多孔生物炭电极的比电容最大,倍率性能较好,电阻较小,且其在1 A/g电流密度下的比电容为312.81 F/g。800 ℃多孔生物炭制备的对称电容器在228 W/kg功率密度下的能量密度达到10.73 W·h/kg,且在10 A/g电流密度和5 000次循环充放电后,其比电容保持率为95.82%。     

Effects of pyrolysis temperature and feedstock type on biochar characteristics pertinent to soil carbon and soil health: A meta-analysis

Biochar amendment to soil is utilized globally as an approach to enhance carbon storage and to improve soil functioning. However, biochar characteristics and related improvements of soil functioning depend on biochar production conditions. Systematic evaluation of corresponding biochar characteristics is needed for more targeted and efficient biochar application strategies. Herein, we systematically review the effects of biochar pyrolysis temperature (175–950°C) and feedstock (corn stover, switchgrass and wood) on selected biochar characteristics (carbon content, H/C ratio, nitrogen content, pH, specific surface area, ash content and pore volume). These specific characteristics were selected as being pertinent to soil organic carbon sequestration and soil health improvement. Despite numerous studies on these topics, few have numerically quantified the effects of pyrolysis temperature. Our results show that high pyrolysis temperature (>500°C) increased carbon content and pore volume for wood biochar compared with low pyrolysis temperature (≤500°C). The high pyrolysis temperature decreased the H/C ratio and nitrogen content but increased pH, specific surface area and ash content regardless of feedstock. Compared with corn stover biochar and switchgrass biochar, wood biochar had higher carbon content and larger specific surface area but lower nitrogen and ash contents regardless of pyrolysis temperature. The higher biochar carbon content might be derived from higher lignin and cellulose contents of wood feedstock. Wood feedstock had 76%–109% more lignin and 27%–47% more cellulose than corn stover and switchgrass. Corn stover biochar had higher pH, and switchgrass biochar had larger pore volume than wood biochar. Our study indicates that the targeted production of biochar with specific characteristics can be facilitated by the selection of pyrolysis temperature and feedstock type. For amending soil with biochar, more operationally defined biochar production conditions and feedstock selection might be a way forward to wider acceptance and better predictability of biochar performance under field conditions.     

Interactive effect of biochar size and organic amendments on methane consumption in a tropical vertisol

Biochar (BC) application to agricultural soil has been proposed as an effective countermeasure to mitigate climate change. A laboratory incubation experiment was carried out to gain insight into the effectiveness of BC on methane (CH₄) consumption in a tropical clayey vertisol. Except for the control treatment, BC of two different sizes (<0.25 or 0.25–2.00 mm) was mixed with vermicompost (VC), poultry manure (PM) or farmyard manure (FYM). BC and organic amendment were added to soil at 10% w/w and 80 kg N/ha, respectively. BC increased CH₄ consumption rate, k, in soil, irrespective of organic amendment type. The CH₄ consumption potential of soil was greater with the smaller size BC (<0.25 mm). Of the three organic amendments, VC exhibited the highest k (0.105) followed by FYM (0.093) and PM (0.072). BC (<0.25 mm) + PM was the most effective of the organic amendments in enhancing CH₄ consumption (k = 0.242). The lag phase varied between 7.3 day (control) and 1.0 day (soil + VC). Results revealed that there was a significant (P < 0.0001) effect of organic amendment and BC on CH₄ consumption, CO₂ production and microbial abundance. Cumulative CO₂ production (mg/g soil) varied between 2.15 (control) and 8.77 (soil + PM + BC < 0.25 mm). Pearson's correlation analysis showed significant correlation between CH₄ consumption and methanotrophs abundance (P < 0.001). The study shows that BC enhanced CH₄ consumption potential in agricultural land on a tropical vertisol, particularly using the smaller size (<0.25 mm), and could be an effective strategy to mitigate atmospheric CH₄.     

Medium-term effects of corn biochar addition on soil biota activities and functions in a temperate soil cropped to corn

Biochar addition to soil has been generally associated with crop yield increases observed in some soils, and increased nutrient availability is one of the mechanisms proposed. Any impact of biochar on soil organisms can potentially translate to changes in nutrient availability and crop productivity, possibly explaining some of the beneficial and detrimental yield effects reported in literature. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to assess the medium-term impact of biochar addition on microbial and faunal activities in a temperate soil cropped to corn and the consequences for their main functions, litter decomposition and mineralization. Biochar was added to a corn field at rates of 0, 3, 12, 30 tons ha⁻¹ three years prior to this study, in comparison to an annual application of 1 t ha⁻¹.Biochar application increased microbial abundance, which nearly doubled at the highest addition rate, while mesofauna activity, and litter decomposition facilitated by mesofauna were not increased significantly but were positively influenced by biochar addition when these responses were modeled, and in the last case directly and positively associated to the higher microbial abundance. In addition, in short-term laboratory experiments after the addition of litter, biochar presence increased NO₂ + NO₃ mineralization, and decreased that of SO₄ and Cl. However, those nutrient effects were not shown to be of concern at the field scale, where only some significant increases in SOC, pH, Cl and PO₄ were observed.Therefore, no negative impacts in the soil biota activities and functions assessed were observed for the tested alkaline biochar after three years of the application, although this trend needs to be verified for other soil and biochar types.     

东北主要类型旱田土壤持水特性研究

土壤持水特性是对土壤水分有效性的一种反映,不同土壤持水特性存在差异。为了解东北地区主要旱田耕地土壤的持水特性,本研究通过定点采样方法,在不同地区选择了典型的黑土、草甸土、白浆土、碱土、褐土5类旱田耕地土壤,通过压力膜法得出不同水柱压力下土壤水分实测值,并通过Van Genuchten和Garden模型进行模型拟合,相关性极显著,通过Van Genuchten绘制土壤水分特征曲线,从曲线看出,不同类型土壤持水特性存在差异,0～10 cm土层各土壤水分特征曲线差异大、曲线分散,草甸土、白浆土、碱土含水量在各压力下均处于较高水平,褐土最低,黑土居中; 10～20 cm土层土壤水分特征曲线在低吸力阶段差异仍较大,高吸力阶段差异小,褐土含水量最低,草甸土、白浆土、碱土趋于一致,黑土居中; 20～30 cm土层差异减小,褐土、碱土、黑土趋于一致;通过Garden模型计算土壤比水容量,不同水吸力下,褐土比水容量最高,其次是黑土,草甸土、白浆土和碱土比水容量较低,说明褐土和黑土释水能力强;土壤饱和含水量与土壤容重显著负相关,土壤有效持水库容与土壤大颗粒、土壤0. 02 mm的颗粒呈极显著负相关,与0. 02～2 mm的颗粒含量呈显著正相关;草甸土、碱土、白浆土饱和持水库容高,但有效库容低,与褐土、黑土相反。因此,提高土壤持水能力要根据土壤的物质特性提出对应措施。     

Compaction and rotovation effects on soil pore characteristics of a loamy sand soil with contrasting organic matter content

The high input of mechanical energy in common agricultural practice can negatively affect soil structure. The impact of compaction (P) and rotovation (R) on soil pore characteristics was compared with those in soil from untreated reference (U) plots of a loamy sand soil receiving for 14 yr, either only mineral fertilizer (MF) or, in addition, animal manure (OF). Undisturbed soil cores were taken from two separate fields in consecutive years at an identical stage in the crop rotation. We measured soil organic carbon (OC), soil microbial biomass carbon (BC), and hot‐water extractable carbon (C_hot). Water retention, air permeability and gas diffusivity were determined at ?100 hPa in both years and for a range of water potentials in one of the years. The continued addition of animal manure had increased OC, BC, and C_hot compared with the soil receiving only mineral fertilizer. Soil under treatment OF had larger porosity than that from treatment MF. Treatment P eliminated this difference and significantly reduced the volume of macropores. This interaction between soil organic matter content and mechanical impact was also reflected in the gas diffusion data. Specific air permeability was mainly influenced by mechanical treatment. Modelling the diffusion data normalized to the inter‐aggregate pore space showed no significant treatment effects on pore‐connectivity, although there was a tendency of more water blockage in soil under treatment MF. More studies are needed to confirm this interpretation. Our studies indicate that organic manure increases soil porosity, but compaction reduces the related gas exchange effects to the level of compacted soils receiving mineral fertilizer.     

The priming potential of biochar products in relation to labile carbon contents and soil organic matter status

Recognition of biochar as a potential tool for long-term carbon sequestration with additional agronomic benefits is growing. However, the functionality of biochar in soil and the response of soils to biochar inputs are poorly understood. It has been suggested, for example, that biochar additions to soils could prime for the loss of native organic carbon, undermining its sequestration potential. This work examines the priming potential of biochar in the context of its own labile fraction and procedures for their assessment. A systematic set of biochar samples produced from C4 plant biomass under a range of pyrolysis process conditions were incubated in a C3 soil at three discrete levels of organic matter status (a result of contrasting long-term land management on a single site). The biochar samples were characterised for labile carbon content ex-situ and then added to each soil. Priming potential was determined by a comparison of CO₂ flux rates and its isotopic analysis for attribution of source. The results conclusively showed that while carbon mineralisation was often higher in biochar amended soil, this was due to rapid utilisation of a small labile component of biochar and that biochar did not prime for the loss of native organic soil organic matter. Furthermore, in some cases negative priming occurred, with lower carbon mineralisation in biochar amended soil, probably as a result of the stabilisation of labile soil carbon.     

煤矿区复垦土壤中秸秆和生物炭的分解特征

[目的]研究煤矿区不同复垦年限土壤中秸秆和生物炭的分解特征及其影响因素,为资源合理利用和矿区土壤培肥提供理论依据.[方法]依托山西煤矿复垦区试验基地,在复垦年限为1年(复垦初期阶段,R1)、10年(复垦中期阶段,R10)和30年(复垦长期阶段,R30)的土壤中进行了有机物料填埋试验.供试有机物料包括:玉米秸秆(MS)、...     

Physical activation of biochar and its meaning for soil fertility and nutrient leaching – a greenhouse experiment

The slow alteration of the surface of charred biomass (biochar) over time may contribute to an improved nutrient retention and thus fertility of tropical soils. Here, we investigated soils from temperate climates and investigated whether a technical steam activation of biochar could accelerate its positive effects on nutrient retention and uptake by plants relative to nonactivated biochar. To this aim, we performed microcosm experiments with sandy or silty soil, mixed with 2.0, 7.5 and 15.0 g/kg soil of fine (<2 mm) or coarse‐sized (2–10 mm) biochar from beech wood (Fagus sp.). After initial fertilizer (NPK), ashes and excess nutrients were leached with water, and the microcosms were planted for 142 days with Italian Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum ssp. italicum). Thereafter, leachate, soil and plant samples were analysed for their nutrient contents. The results showed that biochar additions of ≤15 g/kg soil left elevated contents of available P and N in the surface soil but reduced their uptake into the plants. As a result, total biomass production was unchanged. Different particle size and application amounts influenced these findings only marginally. Nitrate leaching was enhanced in the sandy soil (+41% for nitrate, but reduced in the silty soil ?17%) and P was immobilized. Hence, the fertility of the temperate soils under study was only marginally affected by pure biochar amendments. Steam activation, however, almost doubled the positive effects of biochars in all instances, thus being an interesting option for future biochar applications.     

稻草及其制备的生物质炭对土壤团聚体有机碳的影响

向土壤中添加生物质炭已被认为是改善土壤质量,增加碳吸存的有效措施。通过模拟实验,利用同位素δ13C标记技术,研究稻草及其制备的生物质炭添加对土壤团聚体有机碳的影响。结果表明：稻草和生物质炭对土壤团聚体中新形成碳和原有机碳的影响截然不同。培养112 d,来自稻草或生物质炭的新碳主要进入到中团聚体（50 ~ 250 μm）中,比例为70.3% ~ 75.3%。与对照土壤相比,稻草添加显著促进了大团聚体（250 ~ 2 000 μm）原有机碳的分解（p <0.05）,但对中团聚体和微团聚体（<50 μm）原有机碳的影响并不明显,而生物质炭添加（SB250和SB350）则对大团聚体和中团聚体原有机碳没有显著影响,但SB250处理（土壤中加入250℃热解制备的生物质炭）显著抑制了微团聚体原有机碳的分解（p <0.05）,而SB350处理（土壤中加入350℃热解制备的生物质炭）的则无影响。对于同一粒级团聚体,稻草与生物质炭处理的区别,主要体现在新碳分配上,而对原有机碳的影响并不显著。     

Effect of rice straw on the composition of volatile soil gas and micro flora in the tropical paddy field

The effect of rice straw on the composition of volatile soil gas and microflora in the tropical paddy field was studied with and without fertilizer application.

The volatile soil gas most abundantly found in plots with rice straw was methane followed by other gases, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide during the early stage of rice growth, while nitrogen predominated in later stages.

The loss of soil nitrogen through volatilization increased following phosphorus application as well as rice straw application as compared with that in the control plot. In the former case, the enhancement of decomposition of organic-N was assumed to be due to the increase in population of cellulose decomposer.

Rice straw application with or without N-fertilizer increased methane gas formation by 27 to 63 times as compared with the phosphorus plot and the peak of its formation was found 5 to 7 weeks after rice straw application. However methane formation in the control plot was very low and was found only 5 to 9 weeks after flooding.

Rice straw application usually increased the number of various groups of microorganisms along with contributing to the transformation of organic-N to N₂ gas. But the stimulating effect was chiefly observed in the population of Azotobacter.     

Effects of rice husk biochar on selected soil properties and nitrate leaching in loamy sand and clay soil

Biochar is a product of pyrolysis of biomass in the absence of oxygen and has a high potential to sequester carbon into more stable soil organic carbon (OC). Despite the large number of studies on biochar and soil properties, few studies have investigated the effects of biochar in contrasting soils. The current research was conducted to evaluate the effects of different biochar levels (0 (as control), 1% and 3%) on several soil physiochemical properties and nitrate leaching in two soil types (loamy sand and clay) under greenhouse conditions and wet-dry cycles. The experiment was performed using a randomized design with three levels of biochar produced from rice husks at 500 °C in three replications. Cation exchange capacity increased significantly, by 20% and 30% in 1% and 3% biochar-amended loamy sand soil, respectively, and increases were 9% and 19% in 1% and 3% biochar-amended clay soil, respectively. Loamy sand soil did not show improvement in aggregate indices, including mean weight diameter, geometric mean diameter, water stable aggregates and fractal dimension, which was contrary to the results for the clay soil. Rice husk biochar application at the both rates decreased nitrate leaching in the clay soil more than in the loamy sand. Our study highlights the importance of soil type in determining the value of biochar as a soil amendment to improve soil properties, particularly soil aggregation and reduced nitrate leaching. The benefits of the biochar in the clay soil were greater than in the loamy sand soil.     

Impacts of biochar and processed poultry manure,applied to a calcareous soil,on the growth of bean and maize

Direct use of poultry manure on agricultural lands may cause environmental concerns, so there is a need to establish the suitability of the application of biochar derived from poultry manure for calcareous soil chemical properties and plant growth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of processed poultry manure (0, 5, 10 and 20 g/kg) and its biochar (0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 g/kg) on soil chemical properties of a calcareous soil and growth of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and maize (Zea mays) plants. In the incubation experiment, both processed poultry manure (PPM) and biochar decreased pH and the concentration of plant‐available Fe of soil but increased plant‐available P, Zn, Cu and Mn concentrations. PPM and biochar increased the concentrations of exchangeable cations (K, Ca and Mg) in soil. PPM and biochar applications increased the growth of maize and bean plants. PPM and biochar resulted in increased concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn in bean plants. In maize plants, PPM and biochar applications increased the N, P, K, Zn, Cu and Mn but decreased the Ca and Mg concentrations. Results of this study reveal that poultry manure biochar can be used effectively for agricultural purposes.