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Biochar effects on soil water infiltration and erosion under seal formation conditions: rainfall simulation experiment

  • Soils, Sec 3 • Remediation and Management of Contaminated or Degraded Lands • Research Article
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Abstract

Purpose

Soil amendment with biochar can result in decreased bulk density and soil penetration resistance, and increased water-holding capacity. We hypothesized that adding biochar could moderate the reductions in infiltration rates (IR) that occur during high-intensity rainstorms in seal-prone soils, and hence result in reduced runoff and erosion rates. The objectives were to (i) evaluate biochar potential to improve infiltration and control soil erosion, and (ii) investigate the mechanisms by which biochar influences infiltration rate and soil loss.

Materials and methods

Rainfall simulation experiments were conducted on two physicochemically contrasting, agriculturally significant, erosion-prone soils of Israel that are candidates for biochar amendment: (i) non-calcareous loamy sand, and (ii) calcareous loam. Biochar produced from mixed wood sievings from wood chip production at a highest treatment temperature of 620 °C was used as the amendment at concentrations from 0 to 2 wt%.

Results and discussion

In the non-calcareous loamy sand, 2 % biochar was found to significantly increase final IR (FIR) by 1.7 times, and significantly reduce soil loss by 3.6 times, compared with the 0 % biochar control. These effects persisted throughout a second rainfall simulation, and were attributed to an increase in soil solution Ca and decrease in Na, and a subsequently decreased sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). In the calcareous loam, biochar addition had no significant effect on FIR but did reduce soil loss by 1.3 times. There were no biochar-related chemical changes in the soil solution of the calcareous loam, which corresponds to the lack of biochar impact on FIR. Surface roughness of the calcareous loam increased as a result of accumulation of coarse biochar particles, which is consistent with decreased soil loss.

Conclusions

These results confirm that biochar addition may be a tool for soil conservation in arid and semi-arid zone soils.

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Acknowledgments

The first author (V. Abrol) was supported by an ARO postdoctoral fellowship. Thanks for financial support are due to CESAM (UID/AMB/50017), to FCT/MEC through national funds, and co-funding by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020. F.G.A. Verheijen was supported by a postdoctoral grant from the Funação para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (SFRH/BPD/74108/2010). Short-term scientific missions were funded by COST Action TD1107 “Biochar as option for sustainable resource management” for Martinho Martins (COST-STSM-TD1107-14012) and F.G.A. Verheijen (COST-STSM-TD1107-151113). Swiss Biochar GmbH is thanked for providing the biochar used in this study. Sharma Peeyush, Division of Soil Science and Ag-Chem, FoA, at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, India, is thanked for her thoughtful comments and input.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Volcani Center, ARO, Bet Dagan, Israel

    Vikas Abrol, Meni Ben-Hur, Haim Tenaw, Ludmilla Tchehansky & Ellen R Graber

  2. Advance Centre for Rainfed Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, India

    Vikas Abrol

  3. Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

    Frank G. A. Verheijen, Jacob J. Keizer & Martinho A. S. Martins

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  1. Vikas Abrol
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  2. Meni Ben-Hur
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  3. Frank G. A. Verheijen
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  5. Martinho A. S. Martins
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  8. Ellen R Graber
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Correspondence to Ellen R Graber.

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Abrol, V., Ben-Hur, M., Verheijen, F.G.A. et al. Biochar effects on soil water infiltration and erosion under seal formation conditions: rainfall simulation experiment. J Soils Sediments 16, 2709–2719 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1448-8

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