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The effects of biochar and hoggery biogas slurry on fluvo-aquic soil physical and hydraulic properties: a field study of four consecutive wheat–maize rotations

  • Soils, Sec 2 • Global Change, Environ Risk Assess, Sustainable Land Use • Research Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

The degeneration of fluvo-aquic soils due to long-term excessive fertilization is increasing in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, China. Products from crop straw and livestock breeding wastewater, biochar, and biogas slurry provide safe and efficient biomass resources for soil quality improvement. We assumed that biochar and biogas slurry could improve soil structure and soil water retention capacity for their special characteristics. The present study aimed to compare the effects of biochar and hoggery biogas slurry treatments on improvements to soil physical properties and water-holding capacity, and their different driving mechanisms.

Materials and methods

This study was based on a field experiment of four consecutive winter wheat–summer maize rotations on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, China. Using the principle of equal nitrogen inputs, three treatments were conducted: conventional farming fertilizers, biochar, and hoggery biogas slurry. The differences in indicators such as soil bulk density, total porosity, aggregate structure, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and hydraulic property parameters between different treatments were compared and analyzed. The driving factors generating these differences were also discussed.

Results and discussion

Compared to conventional fertilization, soil bulk density decreased under biochar and hoggery biogas slurry treatments, whereas soil total porosity increased after hoggery biogas slurry treatment. In the 0–20-cm soil layer, biochar treatment increased the content of >2-mm macrosoil aggregates and hoggery biogas slurry treatment increased the content of 0.25–0.5 or 1–2-mm soil aggregates. The soil saturated hydraulic conductivity in the 0–20-cm soil layer did not change significantly with biochar application, but increased with hoggery biogas slurry treatment. The application of biochar and hoggery biogas slurry improved the water-holding capacity, increasing the field capacity by 15.34 and 13.83 %, and the available water content by 16.20 and 25.87 %, respectively, in the 0–20-cm soil layer.

Conclusions

Both biochar and hoggery biogas slurry treatments significantly improved soil structure and water-holding capacity. Biogas slurry treatment significantly increased soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil aggregate content, while biochar treatment significantly decreased bulk density and increased total porosity of the soil.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51209209, 51209208), National High-tech R&D Program (863 Program, 2012AA101404), and a Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions. We would like to thank Prof. Zhang and Editage corporation for carefully correcting our English.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Zhenjie Du, Xiaomin Chen, Jiangkuan Nan & Jianqiang Deng

  2. Farmland Irrigation Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, 453003, China

    Zhenjie Du, Xuebin Qi & Zhongyang Li

  3. Agriculture Water and Soil Environmental Field Science Research Station of Xinxiang City of Henan Province of CAAS, Xinxiang, 453003, China

    Zhenjie Du, Xuebin Qi & Zhongyang Li

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  1. Zhenjie Du
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  2. Xiaomin Chen
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  3. Xuebin Qi
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  4. Zhongyang Li
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  5. Jiangkuan Nan
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Correspondence to Xiaomin Chen.

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Responsible editor: Fabio Scarciglia

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Du, Z., Chen, X., Qi, X. et al. The effects of biochar and hoggery biogas slurry on fluvo-aquic soil physical and hydraulic properties: a field study of four consecutive wheat–maize rotations. J Soils Sediments 16, 2050–2058 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1402-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1402-9

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