Biochar improves fertility of a clay soil in the Brazilian Savannah: short term effects and impact on rice yield

The objective of this study was to report single season effects of wood biochar (char) application coupled with N fertilization on soil chemical properties, aerobic rice growth and grain yield in a clayey Rhodic Ferralsol in the Brazilian Savannah. Char application effected an increase in soil pH, K, Ca, Mg, CEC, Mn and nitrate while decreasing Al content and potential acidity of soils. No distinct effect of char application on grain yield of aerobic rice was observed. We believe that soil properties impacted by char application were inconsequential for rice yields because neither water, low pH, nor the availability of K or P were limiting factors for rice production. Rate of char above 16 Mgha -1 reduced leaf area index and total shoot dry matter by 72 days after sowing. The number of panicles infected by rice blast decreased with increasing char rate. Increased dry matter beyond the remobilization capacity of the crop, and high number of panicles infected by rice blast were the likely cause of the lower grain yield observed when more than 60 kgNha-1 was applied. The optimal rate of N was 46 kg ha-1 and resulted in a rice grain yield above 3Mgha-1

Properties of a clay soil from 1.5 to 3.5 years after biochar application and the impact on rice yield

We assessed the impact of a single application of wood biochar on soil chemical and physical properties and aerobic rice grain yield on an irrigated kaolinitic clay Ferralsol in a tropical Savannah. We used linear mixed models to analyse the response of soil and plant variables to application rates of biochar (0, 8, 16 and 32 t ha-1) and mineral N fertilization (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg N ha-1), and their interaction. The response was analysed within three aerobic rice-growing seasons (S), equivalent to 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 years after biochar application (S1.5, S2.5 and S3.5). The fraction of oxidisable C in soil increased with biochar application rate, irrespective of N fertilization, at S2.5 and S3.5, whereas the rice stress-free available water (soil water retention between -6 and -100 kPa) decreased with biochar application rate at S1.5 and S2.5. Rice grain yield and yield components varied with the seasons according to the changes in soil properties and weather conditions. A single application rate up to 32 t ha-1 of the wood biochar type used in this study had no impact on aerobic rice yield increase on a kaolinitic clay Ferralsol under the climatic conditions of the Brazilian Savannah prone to dry spells. Most likely, the beneficial effects of wood biochar on soil chemical properties on rice production were offset by a decrease in soil water retention capacity and N uptake by the crop

Biochar increases plant-available water in a sandy loam soil under an aerobic rice crop system

The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of biochar rate (0, 8, 16 and 32 Mg ha-1) on the water retention capacity (WRC) of a sandy loam Dystric Plinthosol. The applied biochar was a by-product of slow pyrolysis (~450 °C) of eucalyptus wood, milled to pass through a 2000 µm sieve that resulted in a material with an intrinsic porosity =10 µm and a specific surface area of ~3.2 m2 g-1. The biochar was incorporated into the top 15 cm of the soil under an aerobic rice system. Our study focused on both the effects on WRC and rice yields 2 and 3 years after its application. Undisturbed soil samples were collected from 16 plots in two soil layers (5–10 and 15–20 cm). Soil water retention curves were modelled using a nonlinear mixed model which appropriately accounts for uncertainties inherent of spatial variability and repeated measurements taken within a specific soil sample. We found an increase in plant-available water in the upper soil layer proportional to the rate of biochar, with about 0.8% for each Mg ha-1 biochar amendment 2 and 3 years after its application. The impact of biochar on soil WRC was most likely related to an effect in overall porosity of the sandy loam soil, which was evident from an increase in saturated soil moisture and macro porosity with 0.5 and 1.6% for each Mg ha-1 of biochar applied, respectively. The increment in soil WRC did not translate into an increase in rice yield, essentially because in both seasons the amount of rainfall during the critical period for rice production exceeded 650 mm. The use of biochar as a soil amendment can be a worthy strategy to guarantee yield stability under short-term water-limited conditions. Our findings raise the importance of assessing the feasibility of very high application rates of biochar and the inclusion of a detailed analysis of its physical and chemical properties as part of future investigations

Soil fertility and upland rice yield after biochar application in the Cerrado

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of biochar made from Eucalyptus on soil fertility, and on the yield and development of upland rice. The experiment was performed during two years in a randomized block design with four replicates, in a sandy loam Dystric Plinthosol. Four doses of NPK 05-25-15, annually distributed in stripes (0, 100, 200 and 300 kg ha-1), and four doses of biochar (0, 8, 16 and 32 Mg ha-1), applied once in the first year - alone or with NPK - were evaluated. In the first year, biochar positively affected soil fertility [total organic carbon (TOC), Ca, P, Al, H+Al, and pH], at 0-10 cm soil depth, and it was the only factor with significant effect on yield. In the second year, the effect of biochar diminished or was overcome by the fertilizer. TOC moved down in the soil profile to the 0-20 cm depth, influencing K availability in this layer. In the second year, there was a significant interaction between biochar and the fertilizer on plant growth and biomass dry matter accumulation

The science base of a strategic research agenda - Executive Summary

A summary presenting the challenges for soil carbon sequestration research, hypotheis to be further tested and key research (and innvation) products