Biochar (BC) due to its high surface area, physico-chemical surface properties can cause significant influence on various soil physical and chemical properties, soil reactions that ultimately effect plant growth. In this two part study, effect of BC addition on soil water holding capacity (SWHC), and nutrient release from different rates of poultry litter (PL) amended soils; and effect of BC application on ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and cotton crop growth in PL amended sandy loam soils were determined. Field capacity (FC) and Permanent wilting point (PWP) determined using pressure plate apparatus showed that addition of sugarcane biochar (SBC) significantly increased the FC with minimal influence on PWP. The increase in FC with the addition of SBC was influenced by BC production temperature. Field capacity of the sandy loam soil increased by 14 to 109% when the amended BC production temperature increased from 350oC to 650oC compared unamended soil . This could be due to both increase surface area and pore volumes of SBC with increasing production temperatures. Addition of BCs significantly influenced the leaching of many metals, plant nutrients and dissolved organic C (DOC) from the PL amended soil. Addition of BC decreased DOC leaching up to 84%. Addition of BCs also decreased leaching of NH4+ and nitrates by more than 50% compared to unamended soils. Three-year cotton field experiment in PL amended soils showed that application of BC could significantly reduce GHG and NH3 emissions. This could be due to the absorption of nutrients and DOC making them unavailable for microbes. Biochar application either slightly decreased the cotton lint yield or had minimal effect. Though the addition of BC improves some of the soil properties to enhance plant growth, its ability to strongly hold nutrients may necessitates modifications to the fertilizer application rates and timing.

Effect of biochar on soil water content, nutrient release, greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions, and crop growth

255th National Meeting (2018)

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