Contrasted Effects of Biochar on Maize Growth and N Use Efficiency Depending on Soil Conditions

• Published in: International Agrophysics Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 257 - 266
• Main Authors: Zhu, Qiaohong, Xinhua Peng, Taiqing Huang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lublin De Gruyter Open 01.04.2015; Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Agrophysics
• Subjects: adverse effects; agricultural soils; biochar; biomass; corn; crops; maize; N use efficiency; NPK fertilizers; nutrient use efficiency; nutrients; soil amendments; soil fertility; China
• ISSN: 2300-8725; 0236-8722; 2300-8725
• DOI: 10.1515/intag-2015-0023

Biochar amendment may improve crop growth through its nutrients and indirect fertility. However, this improvement varies in a wide range of biochars, crops, and soils. Our objectives were to determine the response of crop growth to biochar amendment and to assess the N use efficiency relative to the biochar and the soil types. In this pot experiment, we investigated five typical agricultural soils in China amended with two biochars. Four treatments were designed: the soil itself as a control, the soil amended with 1% biochar, the soil with fertilizer NPK, and the soil with added biochar and fertilizer. Biochar amendment increased the maize biomass and the N use efficiency in the red soil (p<0.05) but not in the other four soils (p>0.05). In the red soil, the biomass under biochar+NPK was 2.67-3.49 times higher than that of only NPK, and 1.48-1.62 times higher than that of only biochar amendment, 21-36 and 35-42% of which were contributed from biochar fertility and indirect fertility, respectively. This study indicates that biochar amendment is very plausible for the red soil but has a minor or even negative effect on the other four soils in China.