Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T15:05:57.324Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

FIELD EVALUATION OF SOIL AND WHEAT RESPONSES TO COMBINED APPLICATION OF HARDWOOD BIOCHAR AND INORGANIC FERTILIZERS IN ACIDIC SANDY LOAM SOIL

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2017

BANASHREE SARMA
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur University, Napaam, Assam 784028, India
NIRMALI GOGOI*
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur University, Napaam, Assam 784028, India
MADHURI BHARALI
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur University, Napaam, Assam 784028, India
PRIYANKA MALI
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur University, Napaam, Assam 784028, India
*
Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Summary

Biochar application appears to be a promising method to improve soil physicochemical and biological properties by increasing soil carbon. Along with the influence of hardwood biochar on wheat growth, yield and soil quality for a period of two years, this study also evaluates the major soil parameters to be taken as minimum data set while assessing the impact of hardwood biochar in an acidic sandy loam soil. Five fertilizer treatments combining inorganic fertilizers and biochar were applied: unfertilized control (T1); 100% NPK (T2); 5 Mg ha−1 biochar (T3); 100% NPK + 5 Mg ha−1 biochar (T4); and 50% N + 100% PK + 5 Mg ha−1 biochar (T5). Biochar application (T3 vs. T1; T4 and T5 vs. T2) significantly increased leaf chlorophyll content, net photosynthesis rate, leaf N concentration and above and below-ground biomass, with improved wheat yield and grain quality (total grain protein and carbohydrate). Soil pH, water-holding capacity, available nutrients (N, P and K), organic carbon and its fractions also enhanced in biochar applied plots with reduced bulk density. Increased activities of soil enzymes urease, phosphatase, dehydrogenase, fluorescein di-acetate and arylsulphatase were recorded in biochar treatment along with significant increase in N recovery index (22%) and agronomic efficiency (40%). Multivariate analysis identified activity of phosphatase, pH and humic acid to fulvic acid ratio as the indicators to explain the total variance from biochar addition in acidic sandy loam soil under wheat cultivation. Soil quality index showed a significant improvement when biochar was added with reduced N doses (T5). This study confirms the efficacy of biochar as a soil conditioner when applied with reduced N fertilizer and would be a sustainable option to improve wheat production and soil quality in acidic sandy loam soils of northeast India.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Adam, G. and Duncan, H. (2001). Development of a sensitive and rapid method for the measurement of total microbial activity using fluorescein diacetate (FDA) in a range of soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 33:943951.Google Scholar
Anderson, C. R., Condron, L. M., Clough, L. M., Fiers, M., Stewart, A., Hill, R. A. and Sherlock, R. R. (2011). Biochar induced soil microbial community change: Implications for biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Pedobiologia 54:309320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, T. H. and Domsch, K. H. (2010). Soil microbial biomass: The eco-physiological approach. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 42:20392043.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Andrews, S. S., Karlen, D. L. and Mitchell, J. P. (2002). A comparison of soil quality indices methods for vegetable production system in northern California. Agriculture Ecosystem and Environment 90:2545.Google Scholar
Barnes, R. T., Gallagher, M. E., Masiello, C. A., Liu, Z. and Dugan, B. (2014). Biochar-induced changes in soil hydraulic conductivity and dissolved nutrient fluxes constrained by laboratory experiments. PLoS One 9:e108340.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bastidia, F., Zsolnay, A., Hernandez, T. and García, C. (2008). Past, present and future of soil quality indices: A biological perspective. Geoderma 147:159171.Google Scholar
Burrell, L. D., Zehetner, F., Rampazzo, N., Wimmer, B. and Soja, G. (2016). Long-term effects of biochar on soil physical properties. Geoderma 282:96102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Busscher, W. J., Novak, J. M., Evans, D. E., Watts, D. W., Niandou, M. A. S. and Ahmedna, M. (2010). Influence of pecan biochar on physical properties of a Norfolk loamy sand. Soil Science 175:1014.Google Scholar
Butnan, S., Deenik, J. L., Toomsan, B., Antal, M. J. and Vityakona, P. (2015). Biochar characteristics and application rates affecting corn growth and properties of soils contrasting in texture and mineralogy. Geoderma 237–238:105116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Camberdella, C. A. and Elliott, E. T. (1992). Particulate soil organic matter across a grassland cultivation sequence. Soil Science Society of American Journal 56:77783.Google Scholar
Demisie, W., Liu, Z. and Zhang, M. (2014). Effect of biochar on carbon fractions and enzyme activity of red soil. Catena 121:214221.Google Scholar
Ducey, T. F., Ippolito, J. A., Cantrell, K. B., Novak, J. M. and Lentz, R. D. (2013). Addition of activated switchgrass biochar to an aridic subsoil increases microbial nitrogen cycling gene abundances. Applied Soil Ecology 65:6572.Google Scholar
Guarda, G., Padovan, S. and Delogu, G. (2004). Grain yield, nitrogen-use efficiency and baking quality of old and modern Italian bread-wheat cultivars grown at different nitrogen levels. European Journal of Agronomy 21:181192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansen, V., Nielsen, H. H., Petersen, C. T., Mikkelsen, T. N. and Stövera, D. M. (2016). Effects of gasification biochar on plant-available water capacity and plant growth in two contrasting soil types. Soil & Tillage Research 161:19.Google Scholar
Inal, A., Gunes, A., Sahin, O., Taskin, M. B. and Kaya, E. C. (2015). Impacts of biochar and processed poultry manure, applied to a calcareous soil, on the growth of bean and maize. Soil Use and Management 31:106113.Google Scholar
Keith, H. and Wong, S. C. (2006). Measurement of soil CO2 efflux using soda lime absorption: both quantitative and reliable. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38:11211131.Google Scholar
Lehmann, J. and Joseph, S. (2009). Biochar for environmental management: An introduction. In Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology, 112 (Eds Lehmann, J. and Joseph, S.). London: Earthscan.Google Scholar
Lehmann, J., Rillig, M. C., Thies, J., Masiello, C. A., Hockaday, W. C. and Crowley, D. (2011). Biochar effects on soil biota – A review. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 43:18121836.Google Scholar
Nelissen, V., Ruysschaert, G., Manka'abusi, D., D'hose, T., Beuf, K. D., Al-barri, B., Cornelis, W. and Boeckx, P. (2015). Impact of a woody biochar on properties of a sandy loam soil and spring barley during a two-year field experiment. European Journal of Agronomy 62:6578.Google Scholar
Nguyen, T. T. N., Xu, C. Y., Tahmasbian, I., Che, R., Xu, Z., Zhou, X., Wallace, H. M. and Bai, S. H. (2017). Effects of biochar on soil available inorganic nitrogen: A review and meta-analysis. Geoderma 288:7996.Google Scholar
Novak, J. M., Lima, I., Xing, B., Gaskin, J. W., Steiner, C., Das, K. C., Ahmedna, M., Rehrah, D., Watts, D. W., Busscher, W. J. and Schomberg, H. (2009). Characterization of designer biochar produced at different temperatures and their effects on a loamy sand. Annals of Environmental Science 3:195206.Google Scholar
Page, A. L., Miller, R. H. and Keeney, D. R. (1982). Methods of Soil Analysis. Agronomy Monograph 9. 2nd ed. Madison, WI: ASA and SSSA.Google Scholar
Rahmanipour, F., Marzaioli, R., Bahrami, H. A., Fereidouni, Z. and Bandarabadi, S. R. (2014). Assessment of soil quality indices in agricultural lands of Qazvin province, Iran. Ecological Indicators 40:1926.Google Scholar
Randolph, P., Bansode, R. R., Hassan, O. A., Rehrah, D. J., Ravella, R., Reddy, M. R., Watts, D. W., Novak, J. M. and Ahmedna, M. (2017). Effect of biochars produced from solid organic municipal waste on soil quality parameters. Journal of Environmental Management 192:271280.Google Scholar
Revell, K. T., Maguire, R. O. and Agblevor, F.A. (2012). Influence of poultry litter biochar on soil properties and plant growth. Soil Science 177:402408.Google Scholar
Romaniuk, R., Giuffre, L. and Romero, R. (2011). A soil quality index to evaluate the vermicompost amendments effects on soil properties. Journal of Environmental Protection 2:502510.Google Scholar
Sadasivam, S. and Manickam, A. (2008). Biochemical Methods. New Delhi: New Age International (P) Limited.Google Scholar
Sarma, B., Buragohain, S., Nath, D. J. and Gogoi, N. (2016). Temporal responses of soil biological characteristics to organic inputs and mineral fertilizers under wheat cultivation in inceptisol. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science 63 (1):3547.Google Scholar
Thies, J. E., Rillig, M. C. and Graber, E. R. (2015). Biochar effects on the abundance activity and diversity of the soil biota. In Biochar for Environmental Management: Science, Technology and Implementation, 2nd edn., 327389 (Eds Lehmann, J. and Stephen, J.). Oxfordshire: Routledge.Google Scholar
Tripathi, N. (2009). Analysis of fertilizers for major and micronutrients. In Methods of Analysis of Soils, Plants, Waters, Fertilizers & Organic Manures, 153182 (Eds Tandon, H. L. S.). New Delhi, India: Fertilizer Development and Consultation Organisation.Google Scholar
Vaccari, F. P., Baronti, S., Lugato, E., Genesio, L., Castaldi, S., Fornasier, F. and Miglietta, F. (2011). Biochar as a strategy to sequester carbon and increase yield in durum wheat. European Journal of Agronomy 34:231238.Google Scholar
Vance, E. D., Brookes, P. C. and Jenkinson, D. S. (1987). An extraction method for measuring soil microbial biomass C. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 19:703707.Google Scholar
Wang, Y., Pan, F., Wang, G., Zhang, G., Wang, Y., Chen, X. and Mao, Z. (2014). Effects of biochar on photosynthesis and antioxidative system of Malus hupehensis Rehd seedlings under replant conditions. Scientia Horticulturae 175:915.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yao, Q., Liu, J., Yu, Z., Li, Y., Jin, J., Liu, X. and Wang, G. (2017). Changes of bacterial community compositions after three years of biochar application in a black soil of northeast China. Applied Soil Ecology 113:1121.Google Scholar
Zhu, Q. H., Peng, X. H., Huang, T. Q., Xie, Z. B. and Holden, N. M. (2014). Effect of biochar addition on maize growth and nitrogen use efficiency in acidic red soils. Pedosphere 24 (6):699708.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Sarma supplementary material

Table S1 and Figure S1

Download Sarma supplementary material(File)
File 79.2 KB