Effects of biochar addition on N2O and CO2 emissions from two paddy soils

• Published in: Biology and fertility of soils Vol. 47; no. 8; pp. 887 - 896
• Main Authors: Wang, Jinyang, Zhang, Man, Xiong, Zhengqin, Liu, Pingli, Pan, Genxing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.11.2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Carbon dioxide; Life Sciences; Nitric oxide; Original Paper; Soil Science & Conservation; Soils; Nitrous oxide; Global warming; Biochar; Paddy soil; Carbon dioxide
• ISSN: 0178-2762; 1432-0789
• DOI: 10.1007/s00374-011-0595-8

Impacts of biochar addition on nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from paddy soils are not well documented. Here, we have hypothesized that N 2 O emissions from paddy soils could be depressed by biochar incorporation during the upland crop season without any effect on CO 2 emissions. Therefore, we have carried out the 60-day aerobic incubation experiment to investigate the influences of rice husk biochar incorporation (50 t ha −1 ) into two typical paddy soils with or without nitrogen (N) fertilizer on N 2 O and CO 2 evolution from soil. Biochar addition significantly decreased N 2 O emissions during the 60-day period by 73.1% as an average value while the inhibition ranged from 51.4% to 93.5% ( P  < 0.05–0.01) in terms of cumulative emissions. Significant interactions were observed between biochar, N fertilizer, and soil type indicating that the effect of biochar addition on N 2 O emissions was influenced by soil type. Moreover, biochar addition did not increase CO 2 emissions from both paddy soils ( P  > 0.05) in terms of cumulative emissions. Therefore, biochar can be added to paddy fields during the upland crop growing season to mitigate N 2 O evolution and thus global warming.