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Amelioration of soil acidity, Olsen-P, and phosphatase activity by manure- and peat-derived biochars in different acidic soils

  • S. I. BIOCHAR
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Abstract

To increase soil productivity, ameliorate nutrient scarcity, and reduce metal toxicity in highly weathered acidic soils usually requires fertilizer and lime application. Effects of three biochars on soil acidity, Olsen-phosphorus (P), phosphatase activities, and heavy metal availability were investigated to test potential of these biochars as soil amendments in highly weathered acidic soils. Incubation experiments were conducted for 6 weeks with three acidic soils: Alfisol, Ultisol, and Oxisol. Three biochars were derived from chicken manure (CMB), pig manure (PMB), and peat moss (PB) at 400 °C and applied at 1 or 2% (wt/wt). The addition of the three biochars increased Olsen-P in the three acidic soils in the following order: CMB > PMB > PB. Application of 2% CMB increased Olsen-P contents by 2.41-, 7.4-, and 1.78-fold in the Ultisol, Oxisol, and Alfisol compared with controls, respectively. Moreover, CMB increased the soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and alkaline phosphatase activity, but reduced exchangeable acidity, acid phosphatase activity, and the availability of heavy metals—more effectively than PMB and PB. Addition of CMB increased soil pH by 0.90, 0.90, and 0.92 units for the Alfisol, Ultisol, and Oxisol, respectively, correspondingly followed by 0.80, 0.84, and 0.87 units for PMB and 0.15, 0.28, and 0.25 for PM. Changes in EC, CEC, and exchangeable acidity followed the same order for the three soils: CMB > PMB > PB. The results suggested that the magnitude of changes in soil properties and Olsen-P contents depended on biochar type and application rate. Application of CMB increased nutrient availability and reduced the availability of heavy metals more than other amendments. Due to higher pH, EC, and CEC, and greater concentrations of carbon, nitrogen, and exchangeable calcium and potassium, incorporation of CMB should be a better cost-effective method to correct soil acidity and improve fertility and Olsen-P contents in Ultisols and Oxisols from tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development of China (No. 2016YFD0200302) and the National Key Basic Research Program of China (No. 2014CB441003). The first author is very grateful for CAS-TWAS President’s Fellowship for his PhD studies in China.

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 821, Nanjing, China

    Muhammad Aqeel Kamran, Jun Jiang, Jiu-yu Li, Ren-yong Shi, Khalid Mehmood, M. Abdulaha-Al Baquy & Ren-kou Xu

  2. College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Muhammad Aqeel Kamran, Ren-yong Shi, Khalid Mehmood & M. Abdulaha-Al Baquy

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  1. Muhammad Aqeel Kamran
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  2. Jun Jiang
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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Implications of Biochar Application to Soil Environment under Arid Conditions

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Kamran, M.A., Jiang, J., Li, Jy. et al. Amelioration of soil acidity, Olsen-P, and phosphatase activity by manure- and peat-derived biochars in different acidic soils. Arab J Geosci 11, 272 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3616-1

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