Biochar for urban agriculture: Impacts on soil chemical characteristics and on Brassica rapa growth, nutrient content and metabolism over multiple growth cycles

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 727; p. 138742
• Main Authors: Song, Shuang, Arora, Srishti, Laserna, Anna Karen C., Shen, Ye, Thian, Brian W.Y., Cheong, Jia Chin, Tan, Jonathan K.N., Chiam, Zhongyu, Fong, Siew Lee, Ghosh, Subhadip, Ok, Yong Sik, Li, Sam F.Y., Tan, Hugh T.W., Dai, Yanjun, Wang, Chi-Hwa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 20.07.2020
• Subjects: Flavonoids; Glucosinolates; Kaempferol biosynthetic pathway; Leafy vegetables; Untargeted metabolomics; Glucosinolates; Flavonoids; Leafy vegetables; Kaempferol biosynthetic pathway; Untargeted metabolomics
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138742

With possible food crises looming in the near future, urban farming, including small-scale community and home gardens for home consumption, presents a promising option to improve food security in cities. These small-scale farms and gardens often use planter boxes and raised beds filled with lightweight soil or potting mixes. While previous studies on biochar focused on its application on large-scale contiguous farmlands, this study aimed to evaluate the suitability of biochar as a partial soil substitute to produce a durable and lightweight soil-biochar mix for small-scale urban farms. The effects of biochar on the chemical properties of the soil-biochar mix, crop yield and, particularly, crop nutrients and metabolic content were assessed. A germination test using pak choi seeds (Brassica rapa L. cultivar group Pak choi, Green-Petioled Form) showed that the biochar contained phytostimulants. Through a nursery pot experiment over four growth cycles, biochar treatments performed better than pure soil at retaining water-soluble NO3− and K+ ions, but were worse at retaining PO43− ions. Nonetheless, despite its positive effect on soil NO3− retention, biochar application did not improve crop yield significantly when the application rate varied from 0% to 60% (v/v). Untargeted metabolomic analyses showed that biochar application may increase the production of carbohydrates and certain flavonoids and glucosinolates. The results of this study showed that biochar can potentially be used to improve pak choi nutritional values and applied in large quantity to obtain a lightweight soil mix for urban farming. [Display omitted] •Biochar application improved soil nitrate and potassium retention but not phosphate.•Biochar application had null effects on pak choi biomass accumulation.•Biochar application increased carbohydrates but reduced amimo acids in pak choi.•Biochar application increased glucosinolates and flavonoids production in pak choi.