Skip to main content

Fertilizer nitrogen uptake by rice increased by biochar application

Biology and Fertility of Soils volume 50, pages 997–1000 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that biochar application can increase rice yield through improving nitrogen (N) uptake and utilization by rice plants under N application conditions. A pot experiment was done with a hybrid rice cultivar grown on a Fe-leachi-Stagnic Anthrosols with and without biochar application. The N fertilizer used was 15N-labeled urea. Results showed that biochar application resulted in 23–27 % increase in fertilizer N uptake by rice plants and consequently 8–10 % increase in grain yield. The higher fertilizer N uptake under biochar application was associated with a reduced fertilizer N loss. Fertilizer N loss rate was reduced by 9–10 % by applying biochar. We suggest that further studies are needed to assess the short-term and long-term effects of different biochars on N uptake and utilization by rice under field conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1

References

  • Chen R, Tao W, Chen L, Wang Q, Tang M, Zhang X, Lü R, Zhang Z, Liang T (2013) Effects of nitrogen management on dry matter accumulation and nitrogen use efficiency of Guiliangyou 2. J South Agric 44:954–957 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng Y, Cai Z, Chang SX, Wang J, Zhang J (2012) Wheat straw and its biochar have contrasting effects on organic N retention and N2O production in a cultivated Black Chernozem. Biol Fertil Soils 48:941–946

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clough TJ, Condron LM (2010) Biochar and the nitrogen cycle. J Environ Qual 39:1218–1223

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • CRGCST (Cooperative Research Group on Chinese Soil Taxanomy) (2001) Chinese soil taxonomy. Science Press, Beijing, New York, pp 1–203

    Google Scholar 

  • Firestone MK (1982) Biological denitrification. In: Stevenson FJ (ed) Nitrogen in agricultural soils. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI, USA, pp 289–326

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaser B, Lehmann J, Zech W (2002) Ameliorating physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal—a review. Biol Fertil Soils 35:219–230

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang M, Yang L, Qin H, Jiang L, Zou Y (2013) Quantifying the effect of biochar amendment on soil quality and crop productivity in Chinese rice paddies. Field Crop Res 154:172–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Junk G, Svec HJ (1958) The absolute abundance of nitrogen isotopes in the atmosphere and compressed gas from various sources. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 14:234–243

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laird D, Fleming P, Wang B, Horton R, Karlen D (2010) Biochar impact on nutrient leaching from a midwestern agricultural soil. Geoderma 158:436–442

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehman J, Gaunt J, Rondon M (2006) Biochar sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems—a review. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Chang 11:403–427

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann J, da Silva Jr JP, Steiner C, Nehls T, Zech W, Glaser B (2003) Nutrient availability and leaching in an archaeological Anthrosol and a Ferralsol of the Central Amazon basin: fertilizer, manure and charcoal amendments. Plant Soil 249:343–357

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liang R, Liang G, Liang J, Wei C, Qin S, Wei G, Huang Y (2013) Influence of different rates of nitrogen fertilizer on growth and physiological characteristics of super rice Guiliangyou 2. Modern Agric Sci Technol 4:15–17 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Qu J, Li L, Zhang A, Zheng J, Zheng J, Pan G (2012) Can biochar amendment be an ecological engineering technology to depress N2O emission in rice paddies?—A cross site field experiment from South China. Ecol Eng 42:168–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng S, Buresh RJ, Huang J, Yang J, Zou Y, Zhong X, Wang G, Zhang F (2006) Strategies for overcoming low agronomic nitrogen use efficiency in irrigated rice systems in China. Field Crop Res 96:37–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajkovich S, Enders A, Hanley K, Hyland C, Zimmerman AR, Lehmann J (2012) Corn growth and nitrogen nutrition after additions of biochars with varying properties to a temperate soil. Biol Fertil Soils 48:271–284

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taghizadeh-Toosi A, Clough TJ, Sherlock RR, Condron LM (2012) Biochar adsorbed ammonia is bioavailable. Plant Soil 350:57–69

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu F, Jia Z, Wang S, Chang SX, Startsev A (2013) Contrasting effects of wheat straw and its biochar on greenhouse gas emissions and enzyme activity in a Chernozemic soil. Biol Fertil Soils 49:555–565

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yanai Y, Toyota K, Okazaki M (2007) Effect of charcoal addition on N2O emissions from soil resulting from rewetting air-dried soil in short-term laboratory experiments. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 53:181–188

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang A, Cui L, Pan G, Li L, Hussain Q, Zhang X, Zheng J, Crowley D (2010) Effect of biochar amendment on yield and methane and nitrous oxide emissions from a rice paddy from Tai Lake plain, China. Agric Ecosyst Environ 139:469–475

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang A, Bian R, Pan G, Cui L, Hussain Q, Li L, Zheng J, Zheng J, Zhang X, Han X, Yu X (2012a) Effects of biochar amendment on soil quality, crop yield and greenhouse gas emission in a Chinese rice paddy: a field study of 2 consecutive rice growing cycles. Field Crop Res 127:153–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang B, Liu X, Pan G, Zheng J, Chi Z, Li L, Zhang X, Zheng J (2012b) Changes in soil properties, yield and trace gas emission from a paddy after biochar amendment in two consecutive rice growing cycles. Sci Agric Sin 45:4844–4853 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao X, Yan X, Wang S, Xing G, Zhou Y (2013) Effects of the addition of rice-straw-based biochar on leaching and retention of fertilizer N in highly fertilized cropland soils. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 59:771–782

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zwieten VL, Singh B, Joseph S, Kimber S, Cowie A, Chan YK (2009) Biochar and emissions of non-CO2 greenhouse gases from soil. In: Lehmann J, Joseph S (eds) Biochar for environmental management science and technology. Earthscan Press, London, UK, pp 227–249

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Earmarked Fund for Modern Agro-Industry Technology of China (CARS-01-34).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Farming System, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China

    Min Huang, Huadong Qin & Ligeng Jiang

  2. Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, 530007, China

    Liu Yang

  3. State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China

    Yingbin Zou

  4. Collaborative Innovation Center for Modernization Production of Double Cropping Rice, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330035, China

    Yingbin Zou

Authors
  1. Min Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Liu Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Huadong Qin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ligeng Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yingbin Zou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Ligeng Jiang or Yingbin Zou.

Additional information

Liu Yang contributed equally with the first author to this work.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Huang, M., Yang, L., Qin, H. et al. Fertilizer nitrogen uptake by rice increased by biochar application. Biol Fertil Soils 50, 997–1000 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-014-0908-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-014-0908-9

Keywords

  • Biochar
  • N loss
  • N uptake
  • Rice