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.
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This work was supported by the Earmarked Fund for Modern Agro-Industry Technology of China (CARS-01-34).
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Liu Yang contributed equally with the first author to this work.
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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
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-014-0908-9