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Biochar and biochar with N-fertilizer affect soil N2O emission in Haplic Luvisol

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Abstract

The benefits of biochar application are well described in tropical soils, however there is a dearth of information on its effects in agricultural temperate soils. An interesting and little explored interaction may occur in an intensive agriculture setting; biochar addition may modify the effect of commonplace N-fertilization. We conducted a field experiment to study the effects of biochar application at the rate of 0, 10 and 20 t ha-1 (B0, B10 and B20) in combination with 0, 40 and 80 kg N ha-1 of N-fertilizer (N0, N40, N80). We followed nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, analysed a series of soil physicochemical properties and measured barley yield in a Haplic Luvisol in Central Europe. Seasonal cumulative N2O emissions from B10N0 and B20N0 treatments decreased by 27 and 25% respectively, when compared to B0N0. Cumulative N2O emissions from N40 and N80 combined with B10 and B20 were also lower by 21, 19 and 25, 32%, respectively compared to controls B0N40 and B0N80. Average pH was significantly increased by biochar addition. Increased soil pH and reduces NO-3 content seen in biochar treatments could be the two possible mechanisms responsible for reduced N2O emissions. There was a statistically significant increase of soil water content in B20N0 treatment compared to B0N0 control, possibly as a result of larger surface area and the presence of microspores having altered pore size distribution and water-holding capacity of the soil. Application of biochar at the rate of 10 t ha-1 had a positive effect on spring barley grain yield.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biometeorology and Hydrology, Horticulture and Landscape Engineering Faculty, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Hospodárska 7, SK-94901, Nitra, Slovakia

    Ján Horák, Elena Kondrlová & Dušan Igaz

  2. Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK-94976, Nitra, Slovakia

    Vladimír Šimanský

  3. Agroscope, Climate & Air Pollution, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland

    Raphael Felber

  4. School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG66AR, UK

    Martin Lukac

  5. Department of Forest Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, CZ-16521, Prague, Czech Republic

    Martin Lukac

  6. Agrophysical Research Institute, Grazhdansky pr. 14, St. Petersburg, 195220, Russia

    Eugene V. Balashov, Natalya P. Buchkina & Elena Y. Rizhiya

  7. Department of Soil Science and Landscape Management, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, PL-87-100, Toruń, Poland

    Michal Jankowski

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  1. Ján Horák
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  2. Elena Kondrlová
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  3. Dušan Igaz
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  5. Raphael Felber
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  6. Martin Lukac
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  7. Eugene V. Balashov
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  8. Natalya P. Buchkina
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  9. Elena Y. Rizhiya
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  10. Michal Jankowski
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Correspondence to Ján Horák.

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Horák, J., Kondrlová, E., Igaz, D. et al. Biochar and biochar with N-fertilizer affect soil N2O emission in Haplic Luvisol. Biologia 72, 995–1001 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2017-0109

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2017-0109

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