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Biochar Improves Soil Aggregate Stability and Water Availability in a Mollisol after Three Years of Field Application

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  • Ningning Ma
  • Lili Zhang
  • Yulan Zhang
  • Lijie Yang
  • Chunxiao Yu
  • Guanghua Yin
  • Timothy A Doane
  • Zhijie Wu
  • Ping Zhu
  • Xingzhu Ma

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of organic amendments on soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, bulk density, aggregate stability, field capacity and plant available water in a representative Chinese Mollisol. Four treatments were as follows: no fertilization (CK), application of inorganic fertilizer (NPK), combined application of inorganic fertilizer with maize straw (NPK+S) and addition of biochar with inorganic fertilizer (NPK+B). Our results showed that after three consecutive years of application, the values of soil bulk density were significantly lower in both organic amendment-treated plots than in unamended (CK and NPK) plots. Compared with NPK, NPK+B more effectively increased the contents of soil organic carbon, improved the relative proportion of soil macro-aggregates and mean weight diameter, and enhanced field capacity as well as plant available water. Organic amendments had no obvious effect on soil C/N ratio or wilting coefficient. The results of linear regression indicated that the improvement in soil water retention could be attributed to the increases in soil organic carbon and aggregate stability.

Suggested Citation

  • Ningning Ma & Lili Zhang & Yulan Zhang & Lijie Yang & Chunxiao Yu & Guanghua Yin & Timothy A Doane & Zhijie Wu & Ping Zhu & Xingzhu Ma, 2016. "Biochar Improves Soil Aggregate Stability and Water Availability in a Mollisol after Three Years of Field Application," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-10, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0154091
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154091
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dominic Woolf & James E. Amonette & F. Alayne Street-Perrott & Johannes Lehmann & Stephen Joseph, 2010. "Sustainable biochar to mitigate global climate change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 1(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Kauffman, Nathan & Dumortier, Jerome & Hayes, Dermot J. & Brown, Robert C. & Laird, David, 2014. "Producing energy while sequestering carbon? The relationship between biochar and agricultural productivity," ISU General Staff Papers 201404010700001488, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
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    1. Mannan, M.A. & Mia, Shamim & Halder, Eshita & Dijkstra, Feike A., 2021. "Biochar application rate does not improve plant water availability in soybean under drought stress," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    2. Muhammad Ayaz & Dalia Feizienė & Vita Tilvikienė & Kashif Akhtar & Urte Stulpinaitė & Rashid Iqbal, 2021. "Biochar Role in the Sustainability of Agriculture and Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-22, January.
    3. Zouhair Elkhlifi & Jerosha Iftikhar & Mohammad Sarraf & Baber Ali & Muhammad Hamzah Saleem & Irshad Ibranshahib & Mozart Daltro Bispo & Lucas Meili & Sezai Ercisli & Ehlinaz Torun Kayabasi & Naser Ale, 2023. "Potential Role of Biochar on Capturing Soil Nutrients, Carbon Sequestration and Managing Environmental Challenges: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-18, January.
    4. Vasileios Tsolis & Pantelis Barouchas, 2023. "Biochar as Soil Amendment: The Effect of Biochar on Soil Properties Using VIS-NIR Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy, Biochar Aging and Soil Microbiology—A Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-41, August.
    5. Priya Saini & Jason P. de Koff & Richard Link & Chris Robbins, 2021. "Soil Health Beneath Amended Switchgrass: Effects of Biochar and Nitrogen on Active Carbon and Wet Aggregate Stability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-13, June.

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