Table 5 Impact of biochar application on soil biophysical and chemical properties
Biochar source | Soil type | Effect on soil properties/soil quality changes |
|---|---|---|
Different feedstock types | Different soil types | Increase in soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), available K, Ca and Mg, total N and available P; decrease in Al saturation of acid soils. |
Wood charcoal | Anthrosol and Ferralsol | Increase in soil C content, pH value and available P; reduction in leaching of applied fertilizer N, Ca and Mg and lower Al contents. |
Eucalyptus logs, maize stover | Clay-loam Oxisol; silt loam | Increase in total N derived from the atmosphere by up to 78%; higher total soil N recovery with biochar addition. |
Charcoal site Soil | Haplic Acrisols | Increase in total porosity from 46% to 51% and saturated soil hydraulic conductivity by 88% and reduction in bulk density by 9%. |
Peanut hulls, pecan shells, poultry litter | Loamy sand | Biochars produced at higher pyrolysis temperature increased soil pH, while biochar made from poultry litter increased available P and Na. |
Wood and peanut shell − Chicken manure − wheat chaff | Sandy soils | Increase in P availability from 163 to 208%, but decreased AMF (arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi) abundances in soils from 43 to 77%. |
Wood and manure-derived biochars | Different soil types | Increase the soil’s saturated hydraulic conductivity and plant’s water accessibility, as well as boost the soil’s total N concentration and CEC, improving soil field capacity, and reduce NH4-N leaching. |
Manure, corn stover, woods, food waste | Alfisol | Tissue N concentration and uptake decreased with increasing pyrolysis temperature and application rate, but increased K and Na content. |
Different biochar sources | Different soil types | Increased crop yield, improved microbial habitat and soil microbial biomass, rhizobia nodulation, plant K tissue concentration, soil pH, soil P, soil K, total soil N, and total soil C compared with control conditions. |
Peanut hull | Ultisols | Increased K, Ca, and Mg in the surface soil (0–15 cm). Increased K was reflected in the plant tissue analysis. |
Simoca, activated wundowie | Loamy sand −clay | Increased soil microbial activity more in clay than loamy soil |
Acacia whole tree green waste | Planosol | Increase in porosity either direct pore contribution, creation of accommodation pores or improved aggregate stability |
Wheat straw | Fimi-Orthic Anthrosols | Increase in soil pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen and reduction in yield scaled N2O emissions |
