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How does biochar influence soil N cycle? A meta-analysis

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Abstract

Background and aims

Modern agriculture is driving the release of excessive amounts of reactive nitrogen (N) from the soils to the environment, thereby threatening ecological balances and functions. The amendment of soils with biochar has been suggested as a promising solution to regulate the soil N cycle and reduce N effluxes. However, a comprehensive and quantitative understanding of biochar impacts on soil N cycle remains elusive.

Methods

A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the influence of biochar on different variables involved in soil N cycle using data compiled across 208 peer-reviewed studies.

Results

On average, biochar beneficially increases symbiotic biological N2 fixation (63%), improves plant N uptake (11%), reduces soil N2O emissions (32%), and decreases soil N leaching (26%), but it poses a risk of increased soil NH3 volatilization (19%). Biochar-induced increase in soil NH3 volatilization commonly occurs in studies with soils of low buffering capacity (soil pH ≤ 5, organic carbon≤10 g kg−1, or clay texture), the application of high alkaline biochar (straw- or manure-derived biochar), or biochar at high application rate (>40 t ha−1). Besides, if the pyrolytic syngas is not purified, the biochar production process may be a potential source of N2O and NOx emissions which correspond to 2–4% and 3–24% of the feedstock-N, respectively.

Conclusions

This study suggests that to make biochar beneficial for decreasing soil N effluxes, clean advanced pyrolysis technique and adapted use of biochar are of great importance.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge support for this research from the Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. NFSC-41171191), Special Project on Agricultural Science and Technology (201503137), Special Project on the Basis of National Science and Technology of China: National Survey of Biological Nitrogen Fixation Resources in Paddies of China (2015FY110700),the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation for financial support to Sino-Danish cooperation on biochar as a tool to mitigate climate change (No 1370-00036B), the Science and Technology Supporting Project of China (2013BAD11B01), and the Science and Technology Supporting Project of Jiangsu Province (BE2013451), and Blue Moon Fund USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road No.71, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Qi Liu, Yanhui Zhang, Benjuan Liu, Zhibin Lin, Gang Liu & Zubin Xie

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road No.19A, Beijing, 100049, China

    Qi Liu, Yanhui Zhang, Benjuan Liu & Zhibin Lin

  3. Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, 99352, USA

    James E. Amonette

  4. Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA

    James E. Amonette

  5. Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Per Ambus

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  1. Qi Liu
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Liu, Q., Zhang, Y., Liu, B. et al. How does biochar influence soil N cycle? A meta-analysis. Plant Soil 426, 211–225 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3619-4

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