Effects of Biochar on Soil Microbial Biomass after Four Years of Consecutive Application in the North China Plain

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 9; no. 7; p. e102062
• Main Authors: Zhang, Qing-zhong, Dijkstra, Feike A., Liu, Xing-ren, Wang, Yi-ding, Huang, Jian, Lu, Ning
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 15.07.2014; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Agriculture; Analysis of Variance; Biochemistry; Biology; Biomass; Carbon; Carbon - chemistry; Charcoal; China; Corn; Correlation; Crop residues; Decomposition; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Ecosystem; Ecosystem biology; Ecosystems; Environmental conditions; Environmental science; Experiments; Growing season; Laboratories; Microorganisms; Mineralization; Moisture content; Nitrogen; Nitrogen - chemistry; Seasonal variations; Soil amendment; Soil carbon; Soil Microbiology; Soil moisture; Soil temperature; Soil water; Straw; Sustainable development; Temporal variability; Water content; Wheat; Wheat straw; Winter; Winter wheat; China; Beijing China
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102062

The long term effect of biochar application on soil microbial biomass is not well understood. We measured soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) in a field experiment during a winter wheat growing season after four consecutive years of no (CK), 4.5 (B4.5) and 9.0 t biochar ha(-1) yr(-1) (B9.0) applied. For comparison, a treatment with wheat straw residue incorporation (SR) was also included. Results showed that biochar application increased soil MBC significantly compared to the CK treatment, and that the effect size increased with biochar application rate. The B9.0 treatment showed the same effect on MBC as the SR treatment. Treatments effects on soil MBN were less strong than for MBC. The microbial biomass C∶N ratio was significantly increased by biochar. Biochar might decrease the fraction of biomass N mineralized (KN), which would make the soil MBN for biochar treatments underestimated, and microbial biomass C∶N ratios overestimated. Seasonal fluctuation in MBC was less for biochar amended soils than for CK and SR treatments, suggesting that biochar induced a less extreme environment for microorganisms throughout the season. There was a significant positive correlation between MBC and soil water content (SWC), but there was no significant correlation between MBC and soil temperature. Biochar amendments may therefore reduce temporal variability in environmental conditions for microbial growth in this system thereby reducing temporal fluctuations in C and N dynamics.