The agrochemical properties of sandy loam Cambisol were primarily influenced by the application of NPK mineral fertilizer, while biochar application had no major impact. However, water availability for plants increased by 5.4% when reduced tillage (RT) was combined with 15 t ha?¹ of biochar, and by 5.0% with no-till (NT) application without biochar.
According to a 3-year average data on CO2 emissions, the application of 15 t ha?¹ of biochar resulted in emissions of 1.7 ?mol m?² s?¹ under RT and 2.0 ?mol m?² s?¹ under NT management. This indicates that biochar had a positive effect on autotrophic and heterotrophic processes in the soil.
Emissions of CH4 and N2O were not affected by the studied biochar rates. Additionally, different biochar rates did not increase the maximum allowable concentrations of potentially toxic elements such as Fe, Mn, and Zn in the soil.
It is recommended to apply 15 t ha?¹ of high ash content biochar on the soil surface under RT and NT soil management for sandy loam Cambisol.
Biochar performance on sandy loam Cambisol
Content Author: LAMMC