长期施用化肥和有机肥对太湖地区水稻土有机碳特征的影响

A long-term experiment set up in 1980 compared the effects of applying manures and chemical fertilizers on a paddy soil in the Taihu Lake region,China.Of the fourteen randomly distributed treatments consisting of different combinations of organic manure,inorganic nitrogen (N),phosphorus (P),and potassium (K),and rice straw,eight were selected for the present study in 2007.Application of organic manure plus straw significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC) content of the topsoil (0-10 cm) compared to that of chemical fertilizers alone.The content of SOC was relatively stable in the 10-30 cm layer in the chemical fertilizer treatments and in the 20-40 cm layer in the manure treatments.The stable carbon isotope ratio (δ 13 C) ranged from 24‰ to 28‰ and increased gradually with depth.The content of SOC was significantly (P < 0.05) negatively correlated with δ 13 C.In the 0-20 cm layer,the δ 13 C value significantly decreased in the treatments of manure alone (M),manure and chemical N and P fertilizers (MNP),manure and chemical N,P,and K fertilizers (MNPK),manure,rice straw,and chemical N fertilizer (MRN),and chemical N fertilizer and rice straw (CNR),as compared with the no-fertilizer control.In the 30-50 cm layer,however,the ratio significantly increased in all the treatments except Treatment CNR.Mineralization of organic C peaked in the first 2-4 d of incubation and gradually leveled off thereafter over the first 3 weeks,being faster in the manure treatments than the chemical fertilizer treatments.The average rate of mineralization varied from 55.36 to 75.46 mL CO 2 kg-1 d-1 and that of stable mineralization from 10 to 20 mL CO 2 kg-1 d-1.In eight weeks of incubation,cumulative mineralization was always higher in the manure treatments than the chemical fertilizer treatments,being the highest in Treatment MRN.Combined humus in the soil was mainly (over 50%) composed of tightly combined fraction.The loosely combined humus and its ratio of humic acid (HA) to fulvic acid (FA) significantly increased with long-term application of organic manure and chemical fertilizers.It could be concluded that the cycle of organic C in the paddy soil ecosystem studied was stable over the long-term application of fertilizers and continued cultivation.     

苏打盐碱水灌溉的土壤添加石膏肥和有机肥后水溶性碳和微生物碳研究

Microbial biomass carbon (MBC), a small fraction of soil organic matter, has a rapid turnover rate and is a reservoir of labile nutrients. The water-extractable carbon pools provide a fairly good estimate of labile C present in soil and can be easily quantified. Changes in soil MBC and water-extractable organic carbon pools were studied in a 14-year long-term experiment in plots of rice-wheat rotation irrigated with canal water (CW), sodic water (SW, 10-12.5 mmol c L-1 residual sodium carbonate), and SW amended with gypsum with or without application of organic amendments including farmyard manure (FYM), green manure (GM), and wheat straw (WS). Irrigation with SW increased soil exchangeable sodium percentage by more than 13 times compared to irrigation with CW. Sodic water irrigation significantly decreased hot water-extractable organic carbon (HWOC) from 330 to 286 mg kg-1 soil and cold water-extractable organic carbon (CWOC) from 53 to 22 mg kg-1 soil in the top 0-7.5 cm soil layer. In the lower soil layer (7.5-15 cm), reduction in HWOC was not significant. Application of gypsum alone resulted in a decrease in HWOC in the SW plots, whereas an increase was recorded in the SW plots with application of both gypsum and organic amendments in both the soil layers. Nevertheless, application of gypsum and organic amendments increased the mean CWOC as compared with application of gypsum alone. CWOC was significantly correlated with MBC but did not truly reflect the changes in MBC in the treatments with gypsum and organic amendments applied. For the treatments without organic amendments, HWOC was negatively correlated with MBC (r = 0.57*) in the 0-7.5 cm soil layer, whereas for the treatments with organic amendments, both were positively correlated. Irrigation with SW significantly reduced the rice yield by 3 t ha-1 and the yield of rice and wheat by 5 t ha-1 as compared to irrigation with canal water. Application of amendments significantly increased rice and wheat yields. Both the rice yield and the yield of rice and wheat were significantly correlated with MBC (r = 0.49**-0.56**, n = 60). HWOC did not exhibit any relation with the crop yields under the treatments without organic amendments; however, CWOC showed a positive but weak correlation with the crop yields. Therefore, we found that under sodic water irrigation, HWOC or CWOC in the soils was not related to MBC.     

中国小麦田土壤线虫对生物炭添加的响应

While studies have focused on the use of biochar as soil amendment, little attention has been paid to its effect on soil fauna. The biochar was produced from slow pyrolysis of wheat straw in the present study. Four treatments, no addition (CK) and three rates of biochar addition at 2 400 (B1), 12 000 (B5) and 48 000 kg ha-1 (B20), were investigated to assess the effect of biochar addition to soil on nematode abundance and diversity in a microcosm trial in China. The B5 and B20 application significantly increased the total organic carbon and the C/N ratio. No significant difference in total nematode abundance was found among the treatments. The biochar addition to the soil significantly increased the abundance of fungivores, and decreased that of plant parasites. The diversity of soil nematodes was significantly increased by B1 compared to CK. Nematode trophic groups were more effectively indicative to biochar addition than total abundance.     

Complementary effect of zoo compost with mineral nitrogen fertilisation increases wheat yield and nutrition in a low-nutrient soil

Excess nitrogen(N) fertiliser use in agriculture is associated with water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.While practices and programs to reduce N fertiliser application continue to be developed,inefficient fertiliser use persists.Practices that reduce mineral N fertiliser application are needed in a sustainable agricultural ecosystem to control leaching and gaseous losses for environmental management.This study evaluated whether fully or partially replacing mineral N fertiliser with zoo compost(Perth Zoo) could be a good mitigation strategy to reduce mineral N fertiliser application without affecting wheat yield and nutrition.To achieve this,a glasshouse experiment was conducted to assess the complementary effect of zoo compost and mineral N fertiliser on wheat yield and nutrition in a sandy soil of southwestern Australia.Additionally,a chlorophyll meter was used to determine whether there was a correlation between chlorophyll content and soil mineral N content,grain N uptake,and grain protein content at the tillering(42 d after sowing(DAS)) and heading(63 DAS) growth stages.The standard practice for N application for this soil type in this area,100 kg ha^-1,was used with a soil bulk density of 1.3 g cm^-3 to calculate the amount of mineral N(urea,46% N) and Perth Zoo compost(ZC)(0.69% N) for each treatment.Treatments comprised a control(no nutrients added,T1),mineral N only(100 kg N ha^-1,T2),ZC only(100 kg N ha^-1,T7),and combinations of mineral N and ZC at different rates(mineral N at 100 kg N ha^-1+ ZC at 25 kg N ha^-1(T3),mineral N at 75 kg N ha^-1+ ZC at 25 kg N ha^-1(T4),mineral N at 75 kg N ha^-1+ ZC at 50 kg N ha^-1(T5),and mineral N at 50 kg N ha^-1+ ZC at 50 kg N ha^-1(T6)).The T6 treatment significantly increased grain yield(by 26%) relative to the T2 treatment.However,the T7 treatment did not affect grain yield when compared to the T2 treatment.All treatments with mineral N and ZC in combination significantly improved the 1 000-grain weight compared to the T2 treatment.Chlorophyll content was better correlated with soil mineral N content(r = 0.61),grain N uptake(r = 0.62),and grain protein content(r = 0.80) at heading(63 DAS) than at tillering(42 DAS).While ZC alone could not serve as an alternative to mineral N fertiliser,its complementary use could reduce the mineral N fertiliser requirement by up to 50% for wheat without compromising grain yield,which needs to be verified in the field.Chlorophyll content could be used to predict soil mineral N at the heading stage,and further studies are warranted to verify its accuracy in the field.Overall,the application of ZC as part of integrated nutrient management improved crop yield with reduced N fertiliser application.     

Shrinkage Characteristics of Lime Concretion Black Soil as Affected by Biochar Amendment

Studies have reported that biochar is a sustainable amendment that improves the chemical and physical properties of soil.In this study,an incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different application rates of biochar on the cracking pattern and shrinkage characteristics of lime concretion black soil after three wetting and drying cycles.Biochar derived from the corn straw and peanut shell mixture was applied to the soil at rates of 0,50,100,and 150 g kg~(-1)dry weight,representing the treatments T_(0),T_(50),T_(100),and T_(150),respectively.During the wetting and drying cycles,the cracking pattern and shrinkage characteristics of the unamended and amended soil samples were recorded.Application of biochar significantly increased soil organic carbon content in the samples.During soil desiccation,biochar significantly reduced the rate of water loss.Cracks propagated slowly and stopped due to the relatively higher water content in the soil applied with biochar.The cracking area density(ρ_c),equivalent width,fractal dimension,and cracking connectivity index decreased during the drying process with increasing application rate of biochar.Theρ_(c )value of the T_(50),T_(100),and T_(150) treatments decreased by 33.6%,52.1%,and 56.9%,respectively,after three wetting and drying cycles,whereas the T_(0) treatment exhibited a marginal change.The coefficient of linear extensibility,an index used to describe onedimentional shrinkage,of the unamended soil sample(T_(0))was approximately 0.23.Application of 100 and 150 g kg~(-1)biochar to the soil significantly reduced the shrinkage capacity by 41.45%and 45.54%,respectively.The slope of the shrinkage characteristics curve,which indicates the ralationship between soil void ratio and moisture ratio,decreased with increase in the application rate of biochar.Furthermore,compared with the T_(0) treatment,the proportional shrinkage zone of the shrinkage characteristic curve of the T_(50),T_(100),and T_(150) treatments decreased by 5.8%,13.1%,and 12.1%,respectively.Differences were not observed in the moisture ratio at the maximum curvature of the shrinkage characteristic curve among the treatments.The results indicate that biochar can alter the cracking pattern and shrinkage characteristics of lime concretion black soil.However,the effects of biochar on the shrinkage of lime concretion black soil are dependent on the number of wetting and drying cycles.     

Soil phosphorus availability and rice phosphorus uptake in paddy fields under various agronomic practices

Agronomic practices affect soil phosphorus(P) availability, P uptake by plants, and subsequently the efficiency of P use. A field experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of various agronomic practices(straw incorporation, paddy water management, nitrogen(N) fertilizer dose, manure application,and biochar addition) on soil P availability(e.g., soil total P(STP), soil available P(SAP), soil microbial biomass P(SMBP), and rice P uptake as well as P use efficiency(PUE)) over four cropping seasons in a rice-rice cropping system, in subtropical central China. Compared to the non-straw treatment(control,using full dose of chemical N fertilizer), straw incorporation increased SAP and SMBP by 9.3%–18.5% and 15.5%–35.4%, respectively;substituting half the chemical N fertilizer dose with pig manure and the biochar application increased STP, SAP, and SMBP by 10.5%–48.3%, 30.2%–236.0%, and 19.8%–72.4%,respectively, mainly owing to increased soil P and organic carbon inputs;adding a half dose of N and no N input(reduced N treatments) increased STP and SAP by 2.6%–7.5% and 19.8%–33.7%, respectively, due to decreased soil P outputs. Thus, soil P availability was greatly affected by soil P input and use. The continuous flooding water regime without straw addition significantly decreased SMBP by 11.4% compared to corresponding treatments under a mid-season drainage water regime. Total P uptake by rice grains and straws at the harvest stage increased under straw incorporation and under pig manure application, but decreased under the reduced N treatments and under biochar application at a rate of 48 t ha-1, compared to the control. Rice P uptake was significantly positively correlated with rice biomass, and both were positively correlated with N fertilizer application rates, SAP, SMBP, and STP. Phosphorus use efficiency generally increased under straw incorporation but decreased under the reduced N treatments and under the manure application(with excessive P input), compared to the control. These results showed that straw incorporation can be used to increase soil P availability and PUE while decreasing the use of chemical P fertilizers. When substituting chemical fertilizers with pig manure, excess P inputs should be avoided in order to reduce P accumulation in the soil as well as the environmental risks from non-point source pollution.     

施钾对有些茄科作物产量和品质的影响

Over a period of two years,field experiments were conducted on wto silty loam soils grown with four solanaceous vegetable crops of geggplant(var.serpentinum Bailey),tomato(var.commune Bailey),sweet pepper(var.grossum Bailey) and chilli (var.lengum Bailey),respectively,Each experiment included four treatments with from low to high doses,0-450 kg ha^-1 for eggplant ,tomato and sweet pepper,and 0-270 kg ha^-1 for chilli,of K fertilizers in the from of sulfate of potash(SOP) applied together with N and P fertilizers. One CK treatment without K,N and P fertilzers applied and one treatment of K fertilizer in the form of muriate of potash(MOP) applied at the high level(450kg ha^-1) together with N and P fertilizers were included in the experiments of eggplant,in order to compare the effects of SOP and MOP,The fruit yields of the tested crops increased significantly with the increasing rate of K application.The crops supplied with K fertilizers yielded more stably as the CV% of their yields decreased with the rate of K application,The K fertilizers yielded more stably as the CV% of their yields decreased with the rate of K application,The dry matter and vitamin C contents in fruits of tomato,sweet pepper and chilli,and the sugar content and the titratable acidity level of tomato fruits were increased,and the S/A ratio( ratio of sugar content to titratable acidity) of tomato fruits were decreased by K fertilization,indicating that K fertilization could improve the fruit quality of the solanaceous vegetable crops.However,the high rate of Kfertilizer might lower the dry matter and vitamin C contents of tomato fruits and sewwt pepper fruits.SOP was more effective than MOP in increasing the yield and quality of eggplant fruits at the high fertilization rate;therefore,the choice of applying SOP may be better for high levels of K fertilization.     

菜地土壤有机碳分级以及总量变化的动态特征研究

Fertilisers significantly affect crop production and crop biomass inputs to soil organic carbon（SOC）. However, the long-term effects of fertilisers on C associated with aggregates are not yet fully understood. Based on soil aggregate and SOC fractionation analysis, this study investigated the long-term effects of organic manure and inorganic fertilisers on the accumulation and change in SOC and its fractions, including the C concentrations of free light fraction, intra-aggregate particulate organic matter（POM） and intra-aggregate mineral-associated organic matter（MOM）. Long-term manure applications improved SOC and increased the concentrations of some C fractions. Manure also accelerated the decomposition of coarse POM（cPOM） into fine POM（fPOM） and facilitated the transformation of fPOM encrustation into intra-microaggregate POM within macroaggregates. However, the application of inorganic fertilisers was detrimental to the formation of fPOM and to the subsequent encrustation of fPOM with clay particles, thus inhibiting the formation of stable microaggregates within macroaggregates. No significant differences were observed among the inorganic fertiliser treatments in terms of C concentrations of MOM, intra-microaggregate MOM within macroaggregate（imMMOM） and intra-microaggregate MOM（imMOM）. However, the long-term application of manure resulted in large increases in C concentrations of MOM（36.35%）, imMMOM（456.31%） and imMOM（19.33%） compared with control treatment.     

黄土高原旱地不同施肥对土壤肥力与产量的影响

Long-term fertility experiments have become an important tool for investigating the sustainability of cropping systems. Therefore, a long-term (18-year) fertilization experiment was conducted in Changwu County, Shaanxi Province, China, to ascertain the effect of the long-term application of chemical fertilizers and manure on wheat yield and soil fertility in the Loess Plateau, so as to provide a scientific basis for sustainable land management. The experiment consisted of nine fertilizer treatments with three replicates arranged in a completely randomized design: 1) CK (no fertilizer); 2) N (N 120 kg ha-1); 3) P (P 26.2 kg ha-1); 4) NP (N 120, P 26.2 kg ha-1-2); 5) M (manure 75 t ha-1); 6) NM (N 120 kg ha-1, manure 75 t ha-1); 7) PM (P 26.2 kg ha-1, manure 75 t ha-1); 8) NPM (N 120 , P 26.2 kg ha-1, manure 75 t ha-1); and 9) fallow (no fertilizer, no crop). N fertilizer was applied in the form of urea and P was applied as calcium super phosphate. The results showed that precipitation had a large effect on the response of wheat yield to fertilization. Manure (M), NP, PM, NM, and NPM treatments significantly increased (P < 0.05) average yield. In the NP, PM, NM and NPM treatments, the percentage increases in yield due to fertilization were highest in normal years, and lowest in the drought years. Long-term P application enhanced soil available P markedly, and manure applications contributed more to soil fertility than chemical fertilizers alone. Chemical fertilizers applied together with manure distinctly improved soil fertility. The results also showed that the soil nutrient concentration changed mainly in the 0--60 cm layers and fertilization and planting only slightly affected soil nutrients below the 100 cm layers.     

聚合果属生物炭引起的咸水灌溉下土壤养分有效性和番茄生长变化

Thermally modified organic materials commonly known as biochar have gained popularity of being used as a soil amendment.Little information, however, is available on the role of biochar in alleviating the negative impacts of saline water on soil productivity and plant growth. This study, therefore, was conducted to investigate the effects of Conocarpus biochar(BC) and organic farm residues(FR) at different application rates of 0.0%(control), 4.0% and 8.0%(weight/weight) on yield and quality of tomatoes grown on a sandy soil under drip irrigation with saline or non-saline water. The availability of P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu to plants was also investigated. The results demonstrated clearly that addition of BC or FR increased the vegetative growth, yield and quality parameters in all irrigation treatments. It was found that salt stress adversely affected soil productivity, as indicated by the lower vegetative growth and yield components of tomato plants. However, this suppressing effect on the vegetative growth and yield tended to decline with application of FR or BC, especially at the high application rate and in the presence of biochar. Under saline irrigation system, for instance, the total tomato yield increased over the control by 14.0%–43.3% with BC and by 3.9%–35.6% with FR. These could be attributed to enhancement effects of FR or BC on soil properties, as indicated by increases in soil organic matter content and nutrient availability. Therefore, biochar may be effectively used as a soil amendment for enhancing the productivity of salt-affected sandy soils under arid conditions.     

生物炭及生物炭-矿物复合物对菌根侵染、小麦和高粱营养的影响

The high price of synthetic fertilisers and the price barrier for biochar as a soil amendment have encouraged the exploration of using biochar in fertiliser replacement formulations. Biochars coupled with fertilisers can be applied at lower application rates to achieve benefits in plant growth and nutrition, as well as soil biological fertility.~It is necessary to evaluate the use of biochar as a fertiliser substitute.~Therefore, this study investigated the comparative influences of biochars, including {\it Acacia saligna} (AS), Simcoa jarrah (SJ) and Wundowie jarrah (WJ), mineral fertiliser with microbes (MF + M), biochar-mineral complex (BMC) and their combination on mycorrhizal colonisation, growth and nutrition of wheat in a glasshouse experiment and sorghum in field conditions. BMC + MF + M treatment produced higher mycorrhizal colonisation than MF + M alone, indicating that BMC had a significant role in increasing mycorrhizal colonisation.~SJ (treated with acetic acid) and MF + M treatments, as well as AS + MF + M application, showed si\-milar effects on mycorrhizal colonisation, but lower colonisation than the BMC~+~MF~+~M treatment.~Overall, the BMC + MF + M treatment supported the maximum shoot, root and total plant dry weight followed by AS + MF + M and WJ + MF + M. The~MF + M treatment had the maximum shoot N and K concentrations, while BMC + MF + M application had the maximum shoot P concentration. AS + MF + M and WJ + MF + M treatments supported the maximum N uptake by wheat shoots, while BMC + MF + M supported the maximum P uptake.~The results showed that biochars and BMCs could increase mycorrhizal colonisation, plant growth and nutrient uptake of wheat, particularly N, P, K, S and Zn. The field experiment confirmed that BMC application at a rate of 300 kg ha$^{-1}$ could increase the yield of irrigated sorghum on a loam soil and provide better applied P use efficiency compared to a water-soluble fertiliser alone. These results indicated that biochar-based fertilisers might increase the resilience and sustainability of dryland cropping in environments such as in Western Australia and warrant further field evaluation.     

生物炭和其他有机土壤改良剂对Ustoxic Quartzipsamment土壤上植物养分有效性的影响

A sandy soil, Nampong soil(classified as Ustoxic Quartzipsamment), was incubated under controlled condition i) to compare the mineralization of major plant nutrients derived from different types of biochars and other organic soil amendments; ii) to examine their effects on soil properties and plant nutrient availability; and iii) to evaluate the plant nutrient losses in leachate from the rooting zone of soil incorporated with the different amendments. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with 3 replications.Five treatments of soil amendments used were cassava stem base biochar(CSB), rice husk biochar(RHB), chicken manure(CM),compost(CP), and no amendment application(control). The RHB treatment released the highest amounts of mineralized NO-3-N,available P and K(2.30–17.26, 5.50–42.90 and 43.00–187.63 mg kg-1, respectively) while the CM treatment releasing the highest NH+4-N in the range of 1.86–53.67 mg kg-1. The CSB and RHB treatments showed better continuity of mineralization of nutrients than the treatments of CM and CP, particularly in the case of the CSB treatment. In the soil column incubation experiment, the amounts of NH+4-N and NO-3-N in all treatments barely changed on Day 1 to Day 30 of incubation and then the amounts increased markedly on Day 60. On Day 60, the RHB treatment contained a very high amount of NO-3-N( 250 mg kg-1). This suggests that N would become more available 30 d after the incorporation. The CM treatment gave the highest amounts of organic matter and available P in the ranges of 4.64–8.94 g kg-1and 14.41–36.33 mg kg-1, respectively, during the 60-d column incubation. The CSB treatment tended to have higher available K throughout the measuring period. The NO-3-N was leached from the soil column quite quickly on Day 1 of incubation while the loss of NH+4-N decreased slightly from Day 1 until the end of the measurement. The amounts of P and K losses varied with the type of soil amendments, and the pattern of the loss was irregular.     

废水污泥生物炭对圣女果生长、产量及重金属累积效应的对比评估

To investigate the potential effects of wastewater sludge and sludge biochar on growth, yield and metal bioaccumulation of cherry tomato ({\it Lycopersicon esculentum} L.), a pot experiment was carried out under greenhouse environment with three different treatments, control soil (CP), soil with wastewater sludge (SS) and soil with sludge biochar (SB), to reveal the comparative effect between the amendments of wastewater sludge and sludge biochar.~The soil used for pot experiment was Chromosol.~Wastewater sludge and sludge biochar produced through pyrolysis process at 550 $^\circ$C were applied at 10 t ha$^{-1}$. No significant difference was found in growth and production of cherry tomatoes between wastewater sludge and sludge biochar applications to the soil. The accumulation rates of metals in the fruits were lower in the treatment with sludge biochar than in the treatment with wastewater sludge. The study highlights the benefits of risk mitigation from toxic metal accumulation in fruits using wastewater sludge and sludge biochar as soil conditioners.     

Rice Straw-Derived Biochar Properties and Functions as Cu(Ⅱ) and Cyromazine Sorbents as Influenced by Pyrolysis Temperature

In this study, biochars from rice straw(Oryza sativa L.) were prepared at 200–600?C by oxygen-limited pyrolysis to investigate the changes in properties of rice straw biochars produced at different temperatures, and to examine the adsorption capacities of the biochars for a heavy metal, copper(Ⅱ)(Cu(Ⅱ)), and an organic insecticide of cyromazine, as well as to further reveal the adsorption mechanisms.The results obtained with batch experiments showed that the amount of Cu(Ⅱ) adsorbed varied with the pyrolysis temperatures of rice straw biochar. The biochar produced at 400?C had the largest adsorption capacity for Cu(Ⅱ)(0.37 mol kg-1) among the biochars,with the non-electrostatic adsorption as the main adsorption mechanism. The highest adsorption capacity for cyromazine(156.42 g kg-1) was found in the rice straw biochar produced at 600?C, and cyromazine adsorption was exclusively predominated by surface adsorption. An obvious competitive adsorption was found between 5 mmol L-1Cu(II) and 2 g L-1cyromazine when they were in the binary solute system. Biochar may be used to remediate heavy metal- and organic insecticide-contaminated water, while the pyrolysis temperature of feedstocks for producing biochar should be considered for the restoration of multi-contamination.     

富含磁性铁纳米颗粒的生物炭对菌根侵染、植物生长、营养吸收及土壤质量改善的影响

At present, there is little commercial sale of biochar, since farmers find they can not gain a return on their investment in this amendment in the first few years after its application, because of the high cost associated with large application rates. To overcome this constraint, development of artificially aged enriched biochar-mineral complexes (BMCs), having a higher mineral content, surface functionality, exchangeable cations, high concentration of magnetic iron (Fe) nanoparticles, and higher water-extractable organic compounds has been undertaken by a combined team of researchers and a commercial company.~% Two biochars produced under different pyrolysis conditions were activated with a phosphoric acid treatment. A mixture of clay, chicken litter, and minerals were added to the biochar, and then this composite was torrefied at either 180 or 220 $^\circ$C. In this study a pot experiment was carried out in glasshouse conditions to determine the effects of four different BMCs, with different formulations applied at rates of 100 and 200 kg ha$^{-1}$, on the mycorrhizal colonisation, wheat growth and nutrient uptake, and soil quality improvement. It was found that the phosphorus (P) and nitrogen uptake in wheat shoots were significantly greater for a low application rate of BMCs (100 kg ha$^{-1}$).~The present formulation of BMC was effective in enhancing growth of wheat at low application rate (100 kg ha$^{-1}$).~The increase in growth appeared due to an increase in P uptake in the plants that could be partly attributed to an increase in mycorrhizal colonisation and partly due to the properties of the BMC.     

Short-term effects of organo-mineral enriched biochar fertiliser on ginger yield and nutrient cycling

Purpose

Biochar has agronomic potential but currently is too expensive for widespread adoption. New methodologies are emerging to reduce the cost such as enriching biochar with nutrients that match crops and soil requirements. However, the effects of biochar-based fertilisers on plant yield and soil nutrient availability have not been widely examined. This study investigated the effects of a novel organo-mineral biochar fertiliser in comparison to organic and commercial biochar fertiliser on ginger (Zingiber officinale Canton).

Materials and methods

There were four treatments: (1) commercial organic fertiliser (5 t ha^?1), as the control; (2) commercial biochar-based fertiliser (5 t ha^?1); (3) organo-mineral biochar fertiliser at low rate (3 t ha^?1); and (4) organo-mineral biochar fertiliser at high rate (7.5 t ha^?1). A replicated pot trial was established with black dermosol soil and ten replicate pots for each treatment. Ginger was planted and grown for 30 weeks. Plant growth, biomass, foliar nutrients and water extractable soil nutrients including phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) were examined.

Results and discussion

High rate organo-mineral biochar fertiliser increased soil P and K availability at week 30 (harvest) after planting, compared to all other treatments and low rate organo-mineral biochar fertiliser performed similarly to the organic control for P and K. High rate organo-mineral biochar fertiliser increased total foliar nutrient content at week 30 in P, K and Ca compared to commercial biochar fertiliser. High rate organo-mineral biochar fertiliser improved the commercial value of ginger (+?36%) due to a shift in the proportion of higher grade rhizomes. Low rate organo-mineral biochar fertiliser plants displayed similar yield, total dry and aboveground biomass to commercial organic fertiliser. Commercial biochar fertiliser had significantly lower biomass measures compared with other treatments as the rate applied had lower nutrient concentrations.

Conclusions

Our results show organo-mineral biochar fertilisers could be substituted for commercial organic fertilisers at low rates to maintain similar yield or applied at high rates to increase commercial value where economically feasible.

     

土壤生物炭的生产：三种窑模型的比较研究

Biochar has potentials for soil fertility improvement, climate change mitigation and environmental reclamation, and charred biomass can be deliberately incorporated into soil for long-term carbon stabilization and soil amendment. Many different methods have been used for biochar production ranging from laboratory to industrial scales. However, in countryside of developing countries,biomass is generally used for cooking but not charred. Biochar production techniques at farmer scale have remained poorly developed.We developed and tested biochar production kilns for farmers with a dimension of 50.8 cm × 38.1 cm(height × diameter), using three different setups for optimizing oxygen(O2) limitation and syngas circulation: airtight with no syngas circulation(Model I),semi-airtight with external syngas circulation(Model II) and semi-airtight with internal syngas circulation(Model III). A comparative assessment of these biochar production kiln models was made considering biochar pyrolysis time, fuel to biomass ratio, biochar to feedstock ratio and thermogravimetric index(TGI). Among the models, the best quality biochar(TGI = 0.15) was obtained from Model I kiln taking the longest time for pyrolysis(12.5 h) and the highest amount of fuel wood(1.22 kg kg-1biomass). Model III kiln produced comparatively good quality biochar(TGI = 0.11), but with less fuel wood requirement(0.33 kg kg-1biomass) and shorter pyrolysis time(8.5 h). We also tested Model III kiln in a three times larger size under two situations(steel kiln and pit kiln). The biochar to feedstock ratio(0.38) and quality(TGI = 0.14) increased slightly for the larger kilns. Quality of biochar was found to be mainly related to pyrolysis time. The costs for the biochar stove and pit kiln were US$ 65–77, while it was US$ 154 for the large size steel kiln. Model III kiln can potentially be used for both cooking and biochar production at farmer scale.     

碱性土壤中生物炭和NPK肥对大豆产量的协同效应

Biochar effects on legume growth and biological nitrogen fixation have been studied extensively, mostly in acidic soils with laboratory produced biochar. In the present study, a pot experiment in a full factorial experimental design was performed to examine soybean yield and nodulation of three genotypes grown with or without biochar and NPK fertilizers in an alkaline soil. We observed synergistic effects of biochar and NPK fertilizer applications on biomass and seed yields for all three soybean genotypes. Total biomass production and seed yield increased on average by 67\% and 54\%, respectively, with biochar and by 201\% and 182\% with NPK fertilizer application compared to the control. When applications of biochar and NPK fertilizer were combined, the increases were 391\% and 367\%, respectively. However, the biomass production in the control was very low (692 kg ha$^{-1}$) due to a high soil pH (8.80).~The nodulation increased with biochar and NPK fertilizer applications, and was largest with the combined application. A correlation was found between leaf chlorophyll content (single photon avalanche diode value) and nodule number. We suggested that the synergistic increase in yield was due to a decrease in soil pH caused by biochar and NPK fertilizer applications thereby increasing P availability in this alkaline soil.     

生物炭和高吸水性树脂对栽培基质性状及空心菜生长的影响

Most previous researches have focused on biochar application in agricultural soils; however, limited information is available concerning the effects of biochar amendment on greenhouse substrate properties. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate effects of wheat straw biochar(0–160 m L L-1) and super absorbent polymer(SAP, 0.8 g L-1) on physical and chemical properties of a substrate based on spent pig litter compost and the growth of water spinach(Ipomoea aquatica Forsk). Total porosity, water-holding capacity, p H and electrical conductivity(EC) of the substrate significantly increased with increasing biochar rates, especially in the substrate without SAP. The values of p H and EC were significantly lower in the substrate with SAP than those without SAP at the high biochar application rates(100–160 m L L-1). The germination rates of water spinach decreased with increasing biochar rates when biochar was added alone(76.9%–83.7%), whereas the rates increased to 83.6%–85.8% when biochar was added in combination with SAP. Growth parameters of water spinach and nutrient uptake by shoots and roots increased with increasing biochar rates and reached the maximum values at the biochar rate of 100 m L L-1. There were significant cubic relationships between the uptake of nutrients(N, P, and K) and biochar rates, both with and without SAP addition. In order to avoid negative effects on plant growth,the biochar application rate should be controlled at an optimal level(100 m L L-1). The SAP addition not only enhanced the positive effects of biochar application on the properties of the substrate, but also inhibited the excessive rise of p H and EC following biochar additions, which led to better plant growth and enhanced nutrient uptakes by water spinach.     

Short-term effects of organo-mineral biochar and organic fertilisers on nitrogen cycling,plant photosynthesis,and nitrogen use efficiency

Purpose

Organo-mineral biochar fertiliser has the potential to replace conventional biochar and organic fertiliser to improve soil quality and increase plant photosynthesis. This study explored mechanisms involved in nitrogen (N) cycling in both soil and ginger plants (Zingiber officinale: Zingiberaceae) following different treatments including organic fertiliser, commercial bamboo biochar fertiliser, and organo-mineral biochar fertiliser.

Materials and methods

Soil received four treatments including (1) commercial organic fertiliser (5 t ha^?1) as the control, (2) commercial bamboo biochar fertiliser (5 t ha^?1), (3) organo-mineral biochar fertiliser at a low rate (3 t ha^?1), and (4) organo-mineral biochar fertiliser at a high rate (7.5 t ha^?1). C and N fractions of soil and plant, and gas exchange measurements were analysed.

Results and discussion

Initially, organo-mineral biochar fertiliser applied at the low rate increased leaf N. Organo-mineral biochar fertiliser applied at the high rate significantly increased N use efficiency (NUE) of the aboveground biomass compared with other treatments and improved photosynthesis compared with the control. There was N fractionation during plant N uptake and assimilation since the ¹⁵N enrichment between the root, leaf, and stem were significantly different from zero; however, treatments did not affect this N fractionation.

Conclusions

Organo-mineral biochar fertiliser has agronomic advantages over inorganic and raw organic (manure-based) N fertiliser because it allows farmer to put high concentrations of nutrients into soil without restricting N availability, N uptake, and plant photosynthesis. We recommend applying the low rate of organo-mineral biochar fertiliser as a substitute for commercial organic fertiliser.